UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA  benj.  ide  wheeler,  prudent 

THOMAS    FORSYTH    HUNT,  Dean  and  Director 


COLLEGE   OF  AGRICULTURE 
BERKELEY 


E.    VAN    NORMAN,    Vice-Director   and   Dean 
University    Farm    School 


CIRCULAR  No.  159 
January,  1917 

AGRICULTURE  IN  THE  IMPERIAL 

VALLEY 

A  MANUAL  FOR  SETTLERS1 

By  WALTER  E.  PACKARD 


SOILS 


The  character  of  the  soils  of  this  region  varies  so  greatly  that  it 
is  essential  that  any  one  buying  farm  land  should  pay  particular  at- 
tention to  the  soil  conditions  and  should  get  soil  that  is  adapted  to  the 
crops  he  expects  to  raise.  One  should  not  buy  hard  or  medium  hard 
land  for  vineyard  planting,  for  example,  for  vines  will  not  do  their 
best  on  any  but  the  sandier  soils.  These  hard  soils  are  better  adapted 
for  sorghums,  barley,  or  cotton. 

The  soils  of  the  Imperial  Valley  range  from  heavy  clays  to  coarse 
sands  and  gravels.  The  most  extensive  types  are  clays,  clay  loams, 
silt  loams,  sandy  loams,  and  fine  sandy  loams.  Considerable  areas  of 
sand  and  gravel  are  found  on  the  mesa  lands  and  along  the  edge  of 
the  delta  soils.  Practically  all  of  the  soils  in  the  valley  except  those 
of  the  mesas  have  a  subsoil  or  substratum  of  heavy  clay  at  depths 
varying  from  one  to  twenty  feet.  This  impervious  layer  has  a  marked 
influence  on  the  water  and  plant  relations  of  the  soil,  and  especially 
on  the  drainage  conditions.  The  depth  of  the  soil  above  the  clay  layer 
should  be  determined  before  deciding  upon  the  crops  to  be  grown  or 
the  methods  of  handling  those  crops. 


1  This  Circular  is  published  to  give  to  both  new  and  old  settlers  in  south- 
eastern California  a  summary  of  the  facts  so  far  gathered  regarding  the  agri- 
cultural conditions  and  resources  of  this  very  interesting  region.  The  information 
presented  here  has  been  gathered  from  many  sources  during  five  years  of  investi- 
gational work  carried  on  in  this  section  by  the  University  of  California.  Some 
of  the  data  were  obtained  through  general  observation  and  study,  but  most  of 
them  are  the  results  of  work  carried  on  at  the  Imperial  Valley  Experiment  Farm 
established  at  Meloland  in  1912  for  the  purpose  of  continuing  the  investigations 
then  started  and  for  working  on  the  numerous  problems  arising  in  this  section. 


The  clay  soils  are  very  compact  and  hard  to  handle.  A  repre- 
sentative sample  showed  a  content  of  28.78  per  cent  of  colloidal  clay 
and  63.31  per  cent  of  fine  silt.  Water  penetrates  this  soil  very  slowly, 
and  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  tilling  and  properly  caring  for  the 
crops,  lands  of  this  type  have  not  proven  very  productive.  The  clay 
loam,  a  medium  heavy  soil,  is  the  predominant  type.  A  representative 
sample  contained  14.34  per  cent  of  clay  and  15.34  per  cent  of  fine  silt. 
This  soil  can  be  tilled  without  difficulty  and  is  especially  adapted  to 
field  crops.    The  sandy  loams  and  fine  sandy  loam  soils  are  adapted  to 


Fig.  1. — The  Imperial  Valley  Experiment  Farm,  El  Centro,  Cal.  The  Imperial 
Valley  Experiment  Farm,  consisting  of  forty  acres  and  located  in  the  central 
portion  of  the  valley,  was  established  in  1912  for  the  purpose  of  studying  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  problems  in  the  irrigated  valleys  of  Southeastern 
California. 


alfalfa,  truck  farming  or  fruit  growing.  The  sands,  although  very 
productive  when  rightly  handled,  are  not  so  desirable  as  the  sandy 
loams  because  of  their  porous  nature,  permitting  rapid  penetration 
of  water,  so  that  when  the  clay  substratum  is  present  at  moderate 
depths  there  is  danger  of  a  high  water  table  with  its  resultant  evils. 

The  soils  of  the  San  Pasqual  Valley  are  quite  different  from  those 
of  the  Imperial  Valley.  The  sandy  types  predominate.  The  char- 
acter  of  the  soil  varies  greatly  on  almost  every  farm,  making  uniform 
irrigation  very  difficult.  The  subsoil  is  a  sand,  which,  allowing  a  verj' 
rapid  movement  of  water,  results  in  the  formation  of  a  high  water 
table  through  seepage  and  excessive  irrigation. 


The  soils  of  the  Palo  Verde  Valley  resemble  those  of  the  Imperial 
quite  closely  in  many  respects,  although  the  effect  of  soil  material  of 
local  origin  can  be  clearly  seen.  The  heavier  soils  correspond  to  the 
clay  loams  of  Imperial  Valley,  containing  more  sand,  however,  which 
gives  them  a  more  mellow  appearance.  The  subsoil  here  is  almost 
invariably  a  sand  stratum,  as  found  in  the  San  Pasqual  Valley. 

The  Coachella  Valley  soils  are  local  in  origin  and  differ  greatly 
from  the  Colorado  deposits.  These  soils  are  predominantly  sandy  and 
contain  much  mica.    When  properly  handled  they  are  very  productive. 

The  major  portion  of  the  soils  of  this  region  are  noted  for  their 
fertility.  Not  only  are  the  essential  plant  food  elements,  potassium 
and  phosphorus,  present  in  sufficient  quantities,  as  indicated  in  accom- 
panying tables,  but  the  amount  of  carbonate  of  lime  present  is  such 
that  these  elements  should  become  readily  available.  There  is  enough 
potash  in  the  samples  tested  to  render  the  soils  permanently  fertile 
in  respect  to  that  element.  With  the  yearly  addition  of  both  potas- 
sium and  phosphorus  in  the  irrigation  sediments  the  necessity  of 
applying  commercial  fertilizers  containing  these  elements  may  never 
arise.  Nitrogen,  which  is  lacking  in  all  desert  soils,  is  deficient  and 
must  be  added  by  applications  of  manure,  commercial  fertilizers  or 
by  plowing  under  leguminous  crops,  such  as  alfalfa.  Organic  matter 
of  any  kind  should  be  added  at  every  opportunity,  as  the  results  in 
increased  crops  are  very  marked. 


ANALYSES  OF  SIX  TYPES  OF  SOIL  COMMON  IN  THE  GENERAL  REGION 
OF  COACHELLA  AND  IMPERIAL  VALLEYS2 


Sediment 

Imperial 

in  irri- 

Valley 

Imperial 

Imperial  Coachella 

gation 

clay 

silt 

clay 

Valley 

El  Centro 

water 

Insoluble  matter  

43.81 

62.67 

38.65 

57.53 

51.68 

31.36 

Soluble  silica  

19.51 

10.93 

15.79 

12.20 

17.90 

29.12 

Potash   (K,0)   

1.25 

.74 

.76 

1.54 

1.27 

1.18 

Soda  (Na,0)  

.44 

.29 

.34 

.64 

.30 

.57 

Lime  (CaO)  

7.25 

3.75 

4.35 

5.92 

5.55 

5.35 

Magnesia  (MgO)  

2.37 

1.68 

1.24 

3.23 

2.28 

1.89 

Manganese  br.  ox.  (Mn,.04)  .... 

.01 

.10 

.01 

.01 

.03 

Iron  peroxid  'Fe.,0.<)  

4.37 

3.71 

6.15 

5.63 

3.96 

5.26 

Alumina  (ALO.,)  

10.45 

4.26 

10.52 

7.52 

9.05 

13.92 

Phosphoric  acid  (P205)  

.16 

.22 

.23 

.16 

.14 

.13 

Sulphuric  acid  (SO;!)  

.22 

.36 

.49 

.37 

.22 

Carbonic  acid  (C02)   

2.32 

5.30 

5.35 

* 

10.82 

Water  and  organic  matter  

9.76 

9.93 

15.84 

5.35 

7.78$ 

Humus  

.24 

.65 

.38 

.32 

.30 

Humus  nitrogen,   per   cent   in 

humus  

6.14 

10.90 

18.40 

5.27 

5.15 

Humus  nitrogen,   per   cent   in 

soil  

.02 

0.017 

.017 

2  Analyses  by  courtesy  of  Dr.  C.  B.  Lipman,  University  of  California. 


The  proper  physical  condition  of  the  soil  must  be  established  and 
maintained,  as  upon  this  depends  not  only  the  right  penetration  of  air 
and  water  but  also  the  promotion  of  necessary  bacterial  action,  where- 
by both  nitrogen  and  other  plant  foods  are  made  available.  Too  much 
water  rots  the  roots,  prevents  the  development  of  nitrifying  organ- 
isms, and  aids  the  development  of  injurious  bacteria.  Deep  plowing, 
with  the  turning  under  of  as  much  organic  matter  as  possible,  will  do 
much  toward  improving  the  physical  condition  of  the  soils.  Blasting 
the  harder  types  of  soil  before  planting  trees  breaks  up  the  stratifi- 
cation and  aids  root  and  water  penetration,  if  the  work  is  done  when 
the  soil  is  dry. 


Fig.  2. — A  road  along  the  flood  plain  of  the  Colorado  in  the  San  Pasqual 
Valley. 


Alkali  is  present  in  all  of  the  soils,  as  is  true  of  any  arid  region. 
Some  soils  contain  enough  to  affect  the  most  alkali-resistant  crops. 
Some,  on  the  other  hand,  do  not  contain  enough  to  hurt  the  most 
sensitive  plants,  and  most  of  the  soils  do  not  contain  sufficient  alkali 
to  injure  the  common  crops  grown  in  the  region.  No  person  should 
plan  a  permanent  planting  of  trees  until  he  knows  definitely  that 
neither  the  surface  soil  nor  the  immediate  subsoil  contain  sufficient 
alkali  to  injure  his  planting.  This  station  makes  examinations  of  soils 
for  alkali  for  land  owners. 

Common  salt,  or  sodium  chloride,  is  the  most  common  of  the  so- 
called  alkali  salts.  Comparatively  little  black  alkali  (sodium  carbon- 
ate) is  found,  possibly  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  content  of  gypsum 
(calcium  sulphate)  is  generally  high  in  these  soils.    The  common  white 


alkali  (sodium  sulphate)  forms  a  large  proportion  of  the  salts  in  some 
sections  and  is  present  in  fairly  large  proportions  in  most  instances. 

There  are  different  methods  of  handling  alkali  land  which  are 
more  or  less  satisfactory.  In  the  first  place,  alkali-resistant  crops  can 
be  grown  on  the  poorer  soils.  Date  palms,  for  example,  will  grow  in 
strong  alkali  and  thrive  in  this  region.  For  this  reason  much  of  the 
bad  alkali  land  should  and  probably  will  ultimately  be  devoted  to  the 
production  of  dates.  Bermuda  grass  forms  good  pasture  on  land  unfit 
for  less  resistant  crops.  Cotton  will  grow  in  land  where  other  field 
crops  will  hot  thrive. 

Drainage  is  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  reclaiming  alkali  land. 
When  good  drainage  outlets,  such  as  the  Alamo  or  New  River  channels, 
are  available,  drains  can  be  constructed  to  carry  off  the  surplus  water 
with  much  of  the  alkali.  The  reclamation  work  is  very  slow,  however, 
and  considerable  time  is  required  to  free  the  soil  from  alkali.  Flood- 
ing without  under-drains  tends  to  wash  the  salts  down  and  not  off. 
A  shallow  drain  ditch  at  the  lower  end  of  the  field  to  catch  waste 
water  will  not  carry  away  much  alkali.  Such  a  drain  helps  mainly 
in  that  it  makes  possible  the  longer  running  of  water  across  the  field. 
This  fact  is  shown  clearly  in  any  irrigated  land  containing  alkali  and 
has  been  practically  demonstrated  in  many  cases.  In  spite  of  this 
fact,  many  hold  to  the  idea  that  the  salts  are  washed  off  from  the 
surface  in  ordinary  flooding.3  Where  a  water  table  exists  under- 
drainage  must  be  practised. 

Where  a  farm  is  being  damaged  by  alkali  and  high  water  table  in 
a  section  where  these  troubles  are  common  there  is  little  use  for  one 
man  to  attempt  reclamation  alone,  as  the  expense  would  be  too  great. 
A  drainage  district  should  be  organized  and  a  co-operative  drainage 
system  put  in  for  the  whole  section. 

CLIMATIC  CONDITIONS 

As  is  the  case  with  other  inland  arid  regions,  the  weather  of  this 
section  is  noted  for  its  extremes.  It  is  characterized  by  changes  and 
variations  in  temperature,  wind  velocity  and  humidity  which  are  often 
very  sudden.  Being  hemmed  in  by  mountains  on  the  east,  north  and 
west,  the  valleys  are  denied  the  great  regulating  influence  of  a  large 
and  deep  body  of  water.  Variations  in  temperature  within  everj' 
twenty-four  hours  are  usually  great,  and  sometimes  amount  to  as  much 
as  50  degrees.     Throughout  a  large  part  of  the  year  the  relative 

3  For  further  information  regarding  alkali  refer  to  Hilgard's  "Soils,"  Mac- 
millan  Co.,  and  Farmers '  Bull.  No.  446,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 


humidity  of  the  atmosphere  is  very  low,  and  consequently  the  days 
are  relatively  warmer  and  the  nights  relatively  cooler  than  those  of 
humid  and  coast  regions  in  the  same  latitude.  On  account  of  the  dry 
air  and  the  consequent  rapid  evaporation  of  moisture  from  the  body, 
the  high  temperatures  of  summer  are  not  unbearable,  and  do  not  seem 
nearly  so  high  as  the  dry-bulb  thermometer  would  indicate.  During 
a  part  of  July  and  August,  when  the  relative  humidity  is  increased 
by  the  proximity  of  thunder  storms,  the  weather  is  very  unpleasant. 
During  the  winter  months  the  weather  is  usually  dry,  crisp  and  sunny, 
and  is  considered  by  all  to  be  both  delightful  and  invigorating. 

WATER  SUPPLY 

Except  in  the  Coachella  Valley,  all  of  the  water  used  for  irrigation 
in  this  region  comes  from  the  Colorado  River.  A  small  amount  of 
land  could  be  reclaimed  by  developing  the  water  of  the  San  Felipe, 
Carrizo  and  other  smaller  creeks  which  drain  a  portion  of  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  Peninsula  Range. 

About  159  gaging  stations  have  been  maintained  on  the  Colorado 
since  1890  and  the  general  discharge  characteristics  fairly  well  deter- 
mined. Accurate  estimates  of  the  possibilities  of  irrigation  can  not 
be  made,  however,  until  more  is  learned  regarding  the  river  flow, 
return  seepage,  duty  of  water  and  evaporation.  The  total  acreage 
possible  to  irrigate  has  been  variously  estimated  by  engineers  familiar 
with  the  river.4' 5  The  greatest  use  of  water  in  this  region  fortunately 
comes  during  the  flood  stages  of  the  river  and  the  minimum  during 
the  low  stages.  Increased  irrigation  in  the  middle  and  lower  drainage 
area  of  the  Colorado  will  greatly  decrease  the  minimum  flow  and  make 
storage  ultimately  a  necessity.  The  irrigation  projects  on  the  upper 
tributaries  of  the  river  use  a  considerable  volume  of  water  during  the 
early  summer  months  when  water  is  plentiful  and  very  little  during 
the  months  of  minimum  flow.  The  return  seepage  from  this  irrigation 
will  probably  have  an  increasing  effect  on  the  minimum  flow  and  prove 
a  benefit  rather  than  a  harm  to  the  irrigators  of  this  section,  provided 
the  water  used  is  not  carried  into  other  drainage  channels.0  Reports 
of  unusual  seepage  from  the  irrigated  lands  along  the  Colorado  have 

4  A  very  complete  account  by  H.  T.  Cory  of  the  break  in  the  river  with  a 
full  discussion  of  the  engineering  features  connected  with  the  close  of  the  break 
and  the  construction  of  the  irrigation  system  can  be  found  in  Vol.  xxxiii,  No.  9, 
of  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers. 

5  Report  by  C.  R.  Rockwood  to  Imperial  Irrigation  District,  May,  1915. 
«See  "Seepage  and  Return  Flow,"  by  L.  G.  Carpenter,  Bull.  No.  180,  Pt.  2, 

Colorado  Agricultural  College;  also  Kansas-Colorado  suit,  Direct  Testimony  of 
Louis  G.  Carpenter,  The  Smith-Brooks  Printing  Company,  Denver,  Col. 


been  made,  but  no  actual  measurements  reported.  It  is  reasonable 
to  assume,  however,  that  return  seepage  affects  the  minimum  flow  of 
the  river,  as  it  does  in  other  cases  where  this  has  been  proved  to  be  true. 
By  the  development  of  storage  reservoirs,  for  which  there  are 
numerous  sites,  the  acreage  that  may  be  irrigated  from  the  Colorado 
River  could  be  greatly  extended.  The  following  table  gives  approxi- 
mately the  storage  possibilities : 

APPEOXIMATE  STOEAGE  POSSIBILITIES  ON  THE  COLORADO  RIVER 
AND  ITS  TRIBUTARIES? 

Green  River  (including  the  Brown  Park  reservoir  site)  3,000,000  acre  ft. 

Grand  River  (including  the  Cremmling  reservoir  site)  3,000,000 

Little  Colorado  50,000 

Bill  Williams  Fork  100,000 

San  Juan 1,504,000 

Virgin  River  

Gila  River  

Colorado  below  Mojave  and  above  Yuma  

Total  10,154,000 


^  MILLION  ACRE  FEET 


3  MILLION  ACRE  FEET 


2  MILLION  ACRE  FEET 


I  MILLION  ACRE  F£Ei 


APRIL      AV7  Y 


Jl/ni      JUL 


L 


Fig.  3. — The  yearly  record  of  waterflow  in  the  Colorado  River  shows  greatest 
supply  in  June;  percentage  of  silt  content  least  during  June. 


All  of  the  water  used  in  the  Coachella  Valley  comes  from  artesian 
wells.  These  wells  vary  from  100  to  550  feet  in  depth  and  deliver 
from  nine  to  fifty  inches.    Many  of  the  wells  have  an  artesian  flow  to 


7  See  report  by  H.  T.  Cory  on  ' '  Irrigation  and  River  Control ' '  in  Vol.  XXXVIII, 
No.  9,  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers. 

"The  Colorado  River  and  its  Utilization,"  by  E.  C.  La  Rue,  Water  Supply 
Paper  395. 


8 

the  surface,  although  in  most  cases  pumps  are  used.  The  water  is 
sometimes  pumped  directly  into  a  reservoir,  where  it  is  stored  until 
used  for  irrigation. 

The  source  of  the  water  supply  for  the  Coachella  Valley  is  the 
White  Water  River,  which  drains  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  San  Ber- 
nardino Mountains.  The  run-off  sinks  into  the  open  sands  and  gravel 
very  rapidly,  forming  the  underground  storage  supply.  This  supply 
is,  of  course,  limited,  although  it  has  been  carefully  estimated  that 
practically  twice  the  present  area  can  be  irrigated  from  wells  if  the 
water  is  rightly  handled  and  conserved.8 

WATER  FOR  DOMESTIC  SUPPLIES 

Practically  all  of  the  domestic  water  used  in  the  Imperial  Valley 
comes  directly  from  the  irrigation  canals.  The  water  is  run  into  large 
settling  pools,  from  which  it  is  pumped  or  baled  by  hand.  Where  the 
pools  are  so  situated  that  they  can  be  easily  cleaned  the  water  can  be 


Fig.  4. — A  common  method  of  securing  a  domestic  water  supply.     Water  is 
dipped  into  the  tanks,  where  the  silt  is  allowed  to  settle. 

8  Water  Supply  Paper,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  No.  225,  on  "Ground  Waters 
of  the  Indio  Region,"  by  Walter  C.  Mendenhall. 


kept  clean  and  pure  by  frequent  flushing  out  and  refilling.  As  the 
Colorado  River  flows  through  a  comparatively  uninhabited  territory 
for  hundreds  of  miles,  there  is  little  chance  that  the  water  would  carry 
any  pathogenic  organisms.  The  ditches  are  nearly  all  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  and  therefore  receive  no  contaminated  seepage  or 
sewage  from  local  sources.  Where  ground  water  is  used,  sewage  should 
always  be  disposed  of  through  septic  tanks,  and  not  in  cesspools.  The 
water  used  for  drinking  is,  of  course,  always  filtered  through  a  stone 
filter,  both  to  get  rid  of  the  fine  clay  particles  that  remain  suspended 
in  the  settled  water  and  as  an  added  precaution  against  infection. 


Fig.  5. — A  common  water  hole  for  stock.  Such  places  should  be  avoided  and 
proper  sanitary  watering  facilities  installed. 

The  number  of  bacteria  in  water  is  reduced  fully  50  per  cent  under 
ordinary  conditions  by  filtering. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  put  down  wells  in  various  parts  of 
the  valley,  but  with  the  exception  of  the  east  side,  around  Holtville, 
no  water  of  good  quality  has  been  struck.  In  certain  cases,  especially 
along  the  larger  canals  running  through  sandy  soil,  local  wells  can  be 
dug  and  good  water  secured  from  the  canal  seepage. 

In  the  Palo  Verde  and  San  Pasqual  valleys  the  domestic  water  is 
secured  from  shallow  wells,  dug  to  seepage  water.  The  artesian  water 
of  the  Coachella  Valley  is,  of  course,  used  as  domestic  water  in  that 
section.  It  has  been  suggested  that  some  of  this  water  could  be  piped 
to  Imperial  Valley  to  furnish  domestic  water  for  the  cities,  and  Colo- 
rado River  water  furnished  to  Coachella  Valley  for  irrigation  purposes. 


10 


IRRIGATION 


Irrigation  is  essential  to  the  growth  of  any  crop  in  this  section. 
The  rainfall,  varying  from  one  to  five  inches  a  year,  does  not  usually 
add  enough  moisture  at  one  time  to  sprout  the  seeds  of  the  desert 
annuals  and  is  of  no  value  from  an  agricultural  standpoint. 

The  irrigation  of  crops  is  the  most  important  farm  operation,  for, 
other  factors  being  equal,  the  productivity  of  a  fertile  soil  is  propor- 
tional, up  to  a  certain  point,  to  the  amount  of  moisture  present,  pro- 
vided there  is  no  excess  which  would  restrict  the  entrance  of  air  to  the 
roots.  The  water  used  by  plants  is  from  200  to  1000  times  their 
dry  weight,  and  therefore  the  importance  of  sufficient  moisture  is 
clear.  Alfalfa,  for  example,  will  wilt  on  the  clay  soils  of  this  region 
with  15  per  cent  of  moisture  present,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  will 
grow  on  the  sandy  types  with  but  six  or  seven  per  cent  present.  There 
must  be  present  a  surplus  over  the  amount  retained  by  the  soils  when 
plants  wilt,  in  order  to  sustain  plant  growth.  Many  examples  of  in- 
sufficient irrigation  occur,  especially  on  hard  soils,  and  in  but  few 
cases  do  the  irrigators  know  anything  about  the  amount  of  water 
added.  Too  many  are  satisfied  with  a  saturation  of  the  soil  surface 
without  knowing  anything  about  the  penetration  of  the  water.  It  is 
essential  to  know  to  what  depth  the  moisture  penetrates  in  order  to 
irrigate  intelligently. 

While  irrigation  is  an  all-important  operation,  it  can  be  easily  over- 
done. Plants  may  be  drowned  out  as  well  as  dried  out,  hence  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  allow  an  excess  of  water  to  collect.  Too  much 
water  prevents  the  development  of  roots  and  limits  the  feeding  zone 
just  to  the  extent  to  which  over-irrigation  creates  a  saturated  condition. 
Over-irrigation  in  every  region  is  too  often  practised,  resulting  ulti- 
mately in  the  rise  of  ground  water,  which  may  ruin  the  soil  unless 
expensive  drainage*  systems  are  established  and  maintained.  The 
Alamo  and  New  River  channels  form  an  excellent  natural  drainage 
outlet  for  the  Imperial  Valley,  but  the  existence  of  these  channels 
must  not  create  a  feeling  of  safety  which  would  result  in  carelessness 
in  the  use  of  water.  This  cannot  be  emphasized  too  much,  for  it  is 
highly  important  that  the  people  of  this  practically  new  district  should 
profit  by  the  experience  of  the  many  older  sections  that  have  been 
ruined  by  seepage  and  over-irrigation. 

The  number  of  irrigations  and  the  length  of  each  irrigation  depend 
upon  the  character  of  the  soil  and  the  method  of  applying  water.  One 
irrigation  per  cutting  will  grow  a  good  crop  of  alfalfa  on  sandy  loam 
soils,  when  two  irrigations  on  medium  or  heavy  soils  are  required  to 


11 


get  anything  like  a  comparative  yield.  Every  farmer  should  know 
his  soil  conditions  and  irrigate  in  such  a  way  that  the  moisture  condi- 
tion will  be  as  perfect  as  possible.  The  only  way  to  know  whether  the 
water  is  penetrating  deeply  enough,  or  to  know  whether  too  much 
water  is  being  applied,  is  to  use  an  auger  or  sampling  tube  and  note 
how  far  the  water  has  penetrated. 

The  quality  of  irrigation  water  in  Imperial  differs  from  that  in 
most  streams  of  the  arid  west  in  the  amount  of  silt  carried  in  suspen- 
sion throughout  the  year.  The  water  is  always  muddy,  carrying  from 
84  to  3263  parts  in  100,000  parts  of  water.9  ,  Since  the  soil  of  a  large 


Fig.  6. — Lowland  along  the  Colorado   River   which   has   received   too   much 
water,  resulting  in  the  rise  of  alkali. 


part  of  this  region  is  essentially  an  accumulation  of  this  silt,  the  sedi- 
ment which  comes  into  the  fields  through  the  canals  is  a  fertilizer, 
having  the  same  general  chemical  properties  as  the  soil,  but  being  a 
little  more  finely  divided,  since  the  coarser  particles  are  usually  de- 
posited in  the  ditches. 

The  chemical  and  physical  properties  of  the  sediments  depend  upon 
their  source,  and  consequently  vary  in  different  seasons.  The  silt 
content  varies  greatly,  but  in  general  during  the  winter  months  the 
river  is  low  and  the  silt  content  is  also  low,  most  of  it  coming  from 
the  Grand  Canon  region.  At  times  during  the  winter,  especially  dur- 
ing a  rainy  period  in  Arizona  and  Nevada,  the  silt  content  increases 
almost  to  its  maximum.  When  the  river  rises  in  April  from  the  effects 
of  the  melting  snow  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Grand  and  Colorado 

9  Bulletin  No.  44,  Arizona  Experiment  Station. 


12 

rivers  the  amount  of  silt  increases  slightly,  most  of  it  coming  from 
erosion  on  the  upper  part  of  the  river.  As  the  spring  floods  subside 
the  amount  of  silt  often  increases.  The  greatest  quantities  of  silt  are 
carried  by  the  canals  in  the  late  summer  during  the  rainy  season  in 
Arizona,  which  cause  great  freshets  in  the  Virgin,  Little  Colorado,  and 
Gila  rivers.  These  silts  give  the  greatest  trouble  to  both  water  com- 
pany and  farmer. 

All  of  the  silts  are  rich  in  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  and  some  in 
nitrogen.10  The  soil  washed  from  the  great  grazing  stretches  in 
Arizona  during  the  early  fall  carries  with  it  considerable  organic 


Fig.  7. — Concrete   structures    are   rapidly   replacing   the   wooden 
shacks  at  first  installed. 


^ates    and 


matter  which  is  especially  valuable  as  a  fertilizer.  Forbes  has  calcu- 
lated from  tests  made  of  the  Colorado  River  water  at  Yuma  that  if 
four  acre-feet  of  water  is  used  in  irrigation  .23  of  an  inch  of  soil  would 
be  added  to  the  land. 

Mechanically  the  silts  are  both  good  and  bad,  depending  upon  their 
origin.  In  general,  however,  they  tend  to  lighten  the  heavy  soils  and 
to  give  body  to  the  sandier  types.  The  heavy  silts  or  sands  which  roll 
along  the  bottom  of  the  ditches  are  the  source  of  much  expense  in 
maintenance  charges  and  should  be  eliminated.  Lighter  silts  which 
are  normally  carried  on  to  the  land  are  of  great  fertilizing  value. 

10  Bulletin  No.  41,  Arizona  Experiment  Station. 


13 


These  silts  will  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  soils  of  this  section  as  do 
the  Nile  sediments  to  Egyptian  soils,  or  the  silts  of  the  Yang-tse-Kiang 
to  the  continued  fertility  of  the  delta  soils  in  that  region.11  Wherever 
this  condition  exists  in  older  countries,  such  as  parts  of  China,  Japan, 
and  Egypt,  the  silt  is  utilized  with  the  utmost  care.12 

From  a  mechanical  standpoint  the  sediments  are  troublesome  in 
the  ditch  and  cause  an  annual  expenditure  of  nearly  a  half  million 
dollars  in  keeping  the  canals  cleared  out.  The  farm  ditches  are 
usually  cleaned  out  by  means  of  a  V-shaped  crowder,  although  occa- 
sionally it  is  well  to  let  the  ditch  go  dry  and  clean  out  the  sediments 
with  a  team  and  Fresno  scraper.  Various  types  of  dredgers  and  large 
Vs  are  used  on  the  main  canals.  The  ultimate  disposal  of  this  accum- 
ulation of  silt  is  a  serious  problem.  In  lands  where  labor  is  cheap  it 
is  transported  to  the  fields  by  hand  labor.  It  is  entirely  possible  that 
some  machine,  such  as  a  modified  manure  spreader  into  which  this  silt 
could  be  dumped  by  the  dredges,  may  be  devised  for  moving  the  silt 
on  to  the  land  at  a  low  cost. 

The  Colorado  River  water  carries  considerable  quantities  of  salts 
in  solution,  the  bicarbonate,  sulphate  and  chloride  predominating.    The 


RELATIVE  AMOUNT  OF  SUBSTANCES  IN  SOLUTION  IN  WATER  FROM 
COLORADO  RIVER  AT  RAILROAD  BRIDGE  NEAR  YUMA,  ARIZONA" 

Radicles  in  per  cent  of  dissolved  solids 


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of  composite 
1905 

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2 

Jan. 

1-31 

24 

994 

11 

3.5 

18 

0.00 

23 

27 

24 

0.13 

Feb. 

2-28 

20 

816 

11 

3.2 

21 

.00 

32 

21 

24 

.04 

Mar. 

1-Apr.  2 

33 

686 

10 

2.9 

20 

1.9 

36 

20 

22 

.05 

Apr. 

3-May  1 

27 

609 

n 

3.0 

19 

1.4 

38 

22 

19 

.04 

May 

2-31  ' 

30 

488 

14 

3.3 

16 

.00 

43 

25 

14 

.06 

June 

1-30 

30 

345 

16 

3.8 

13 

.00 

50 

26 

11 

.26 

July 

1-Aug.  1 

18 

395 

3.5 

11 

.00 

23 

15 

.28 

Aug. 

4-30 

27 

532 

14 

15 

.00 

30 

16 

.10 

Aug. 

31-Sept.  29 

25 

930 

15 

3.7 

13 

.00 

33 

15 

.03 

Sept. 

30-Nov.  2 

29 

972 

13 

3.1 

16 

.00 

23 

33 

14 

Nov. 

4-30 

18 

870 

13 

3.1 

17 

.00 

25 

31 

19 

.07 

Dec. 

1-30 

23 

848 

11 

2.8 

18 

.00 

28 

27 

22 

.03 

Mean 

707 

13 

3.3 

16 

.28 

33 

26 

18 

.10 

ii  Bulletin  No.  44,  Arizona  Experiment  Station. 

12  < < Farmers  of  Forty  Centuries,"  by  F.  H.  King-Mrs.  F.  H.  King,  Madison, 
Wis.,  1911. 

is  From  Water  Supply  Paper,  No.  274,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  "Some  Stream 
Water  of  the  Western  United  States,"  by  Herman  Stabler. 


14 

nitrates,  which  are  present  in  small  amounts,  have,  of  course,  a  certain 
fertilizing  value.  The  nitrates  are  highest  during  July  and  August, 
when  the  heavy  summer  rains  occur  on  the  grazing  areas  of  Arizona 
and  southern  Nevada,  as  they  supply  appreciable  amounts  of  organic 
matter. 

The  methods  of  irrigation  are  essentially  the  same  as  in  other 
sections.  Crops  such  as  alfalfa  or  barley  are  flooded  in  "checks"  or 
• '  lands ' '  from  40  to  60  feet  wide  and  from  one-eighth  to  one-half  mile 
long.  In  sandy  soil,  as  before  suggested,  the  lands  should  be  small, 
not  more  than  one-eighth  mile  long,  in  order  to  make  it  possible  to 


ykiJ^i&& 

atow..                 -m- 

mme  mr^M 

K>i«s?*s^S ».  • 

^8m^^W|^^^BIm 

3    K^i  h^GCT^1 

Fig.  8. — Small  streams  running  for  a  long  time  in  deep  furrows  will  result 
in  efficient  irrigation  on  the  clay  loam  soils. 


irrigate  rapidly  without  creating  a  water  table.  On  hard  or  medium 
hard  land  the  borders  can  be  one-quarter  mile  long  with  no  danger  of 
over-irrigation. 

Some  are  practising  the  method  of  corrugating  alfalfa  and  barley 
fields,  as  is  often  done  in  Colorado  and  the  northwest.  Small  furrows 
or  corrugations  are  made  from  2  to  3  feet  apart  in  the  fields  by  means 
of  heavy  runners  or  shovels  attached  to  sleds.  These  small  furrows 
direct  the  course  of  the  water  and  tend  to  aid  in  an  equal  distribution, 
and  also  tend  to  prevent  scalding,  which  is  so  common  in  fields  flooded 
according  to  the  usual  methods. 


15 

Such  crops  as  cotton,  corn,  or  cantaloupes  are  irrigated  by  means 
of  furrows.  In  irrigating  hard  land  in  furrows,  a  very  small  stream 
run  for  a  long  time  will  often  soak  the  soil  to  a  much  greater  depth 
than  by  any  other  method.  The  main  point,  when  irrigating  crops, 
is  to  know  where  the  water  is  going  arid  what  it  is  doing,  and  this  can 
only  be  determined  by  occasional  borings.  Knowledge  of  the  soil  and 
moisture  conditions  will  enable  a  man  to  irrigate  intelligently. 


ECONOMIC  CONDITIONS 

The  size  of  the  farm  and  the  type  of  farming  for  the  most  success- 
ful operation  in  this  section  depend  upon  the  capital  available,  the 
desires  and  capabilities  of  the  individual,  and  the  character  of  the 
soil.  The  farm  should  not  be  so  small  that  an  economical  use  cannot 
be  made  of  the  equipment.  It  is  a  mistake  to  attempt  too  small  a  plan 
to  afford  sufficient  work  for  the  stock  and  implements.  Experienced 
men  with  small  means  may  locate  on  small  tracts  (10  to  20  acres)  of 
the  best  soil  and  make  a  living  by  a  diversified  and  intensive  system 
of  farming,  i.e.,  by  the  production  of  enough  vegetables  and  fruits  to 
supply  the  wants  of  the  family  as  nearly  as  possible  and  by  making 
something  out  of  chickens,  cows,  bees,  small  fruits  and  vegetables. 
A  man  to  succeed  at  this  work  must  be  careful  in  details,  industrious 
and  a  good  farmer.  It  is  not  possible  to  maintain  the  same  standard 
of  living  on  such  a  farm  as  on  a  larger  farm  with  more  capital  in- 
vested. Usually  farms  where  live  stock  or  field  crops  are  the  principal 
sources  of  income  require  larger  areas  for  equivalent  labor  incomes 
than  those  where  fruits,  vegetables  or  poultry  are  the  main  lines  of 
production.14 

In  selecting  a  farm,  the  character  of  the  soil  is  of  prime  importance, 
as  success  or  absolute  failure  rests  in  the  balance.  "Soft"  soil,  free 
from  alkali  or  water  table,  should  be  selected  for  intensive  farming. 

Farm  land  in  this  section  with  a  water  right  can  be  purchased  for 
from  $50  to  $300  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  location,  character  of 
the  soil,  and  improvements.  The  price  of  land  is,  however,  not  a  de- 
pendable criterion  of  its  value,  and  one  who  is  buying  land  on  which 
to  make  a  home  should  take  plenty  of  time  to  make  sure  that  the  soil 
conditions  are  satisfactory. 

The  price  of  farm  labor  varies  from  $35  to  $50  a  month,  with  board. 
Reliable  and  efficient  men  get,  on  the  average,  $45  and  board,  and  day 

14  For  a  more  complete  discussion  of  the  capital  needed  for  successful  farming 
refer  to,  "Some  Things  the  Prospective  Settler  Should  Know,"  Circular  No. 
121,  University  of  California,  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


16 

laborers  from  $1.75  to  $2.50  per  nine-hour  day.  The  majority  of  the 
farm  labor  is  American.  The  negro  is  employed  largely  in  the  cotton 
fields,  but  not  elsewhere  to  any  extent.  Hindus  are  occasionally  em- 
ployed by  the  month,  but  usually  prefer  to  do  contract  labor,  such  as 
picking  cotton  or  heading  milo.  Mexicans  are  employed  to  some  extent 
on  the  larger  ranches  and  do  contract  work,  but  are  not  usually  em- 
ployed by  the  month  on  the  smaller  farms.  Japanese  are  important 
factors  in  the  production  of  fruit  and  garden  truck,  especially  canta- 
loupes. They  usually  work  on  contract,  being  seldom  employed  by  the 
month  by  Americans.  Laborers  from  southern  Europe  are  becoming 
a  more  important  factor,  especially  in  the  dairy  and  hog  business. 

The  cost  and  supply  of  labor  is  such  that  the  most  satisfactory 
method  of  farming  in  this  section  is  to  handle  only  as  much  land  as 
the  owner  can  work  or  directly  oversee,  thus  minimizing  the  necessity 
of  employing  much  extra  help. 

FIELD  CROPS 

Adaptability. — Southeastern  California  is  primarily  a  live-stock 
country  and  consequently  a  section  where  field  crops  predominate,  as 
the  cheap  water,  rich  soil  and  a  long  growing  season  give  this  section 
a  distinct  advantage  in  the  production  of  these  crops.  Cultural  re- 
quirements can  be  so  controlled,  where  intelligent  practice  is  used, 
that  large  crops  can  be  secured. 

Crops. — Alfalfa  is  the  predominating  crop.  It  occupies  practically 
all  of  the  land  at  some  time,  as  it  is  the  basis  of  nearly  all  crop  rota- 
tions. It  forms  the  basis  of  the  live-stock  industry  and  acts  as  a  soil 
builder  and  renovater. 

Barley,  wheat  and  milo  furnish  the  principal  grains  raised,  al- 
though some  Indian  corn  and  various  varieties  of  non-saccharine  sor- 
ghums are  grown. 

Cotton  is  an  important  crop  of  this  section  and  has  proven  to  be 
very  well  adapted  to  local  conditions.  Both  long  and  short  staple 
cottons  are  now  grown,  but  it  is  probable  that  eventually  some  long 
staple  variety  will  be  grown  to  the  exclusion  of  the  short.  Sugar  cane 
has  been  tried  and  may  prove  to  be  adapted  to  the  region  and  event- 
ually develop  into  an  important  factor.  Rice  has  been  tried  and  may 
prove  profitable  for  hard  alkali  soils  where  surface  drainage  is  possible. 

Berseem  and  buckwheat  have  proven  unadapted  to  conditions  and 
should  not  be  planted. 

In  order  to  secure  the  largest  yields  of  any  of  the  field  crops  it  is 
necessary  to  adopt  some  rotation  scheme,  as  a  one-crop  system  will 
endure  but  little  longer  here  than  in  any  other  sections.    If  alfalfa  is 


17 


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19 

used  as  a  basis,  a  profitable  rotation  can  be  planned  in  such  a  way  that 
the  land  will  be  in  almost  constant  use.  The  practice  of  growing  a 
green  manure  crop,  such  as  cowpeas,  should  prove  profitable  in  many 
cases,  both  in  increasing  the  feed  produced  and  in  building  up  the  soil. 

ALFALFA 

Adaptability. — There  is  no  crop  better  suited  to  the  climatic  con- 
ditions in  southeastern  California  than  alfalfa.  Originating  in  Persia 
and  Arabia  before  the  dawn  of  agricultural  history,  this  "Best  Fod- 
der," as  the  Arabic  name  signifies,  has  been  associated  for  thousands 
of  years  with  the  hot  and  arid  countries  bordering  the  Mediterranean, 
and  therefore  finds  its  native  environment  in  the  Colorado  River  re- 
gion. It  can  be  said  to  be  the  basis  of  successful  agricultural  practice, 
as  it  forms  the  foundation  of  nearly  every  local  rotation  scheme,  fur- 
nishing a  good  money-making  crop,  and  at  the  same  time  adding  the 
nitrogen  and  humus  which  are  lacking  in  these  arid  soils. 

Yield. — Alfalfa  grows  well  during  eight  months  of  the  year,  mak- 
ing comparatively  little  growth  during  the  winter  period.  Cutting 
usually  begins  in  April  and  ends  in  October,  six  cuttings  being  the 
average,  although  seven,  eight,  or  nine  can  be  obtained  on  the  best 
soils  with  good  treatment.  The  average  yield  is  about  three-fourths 
of  a  ton  per  cutting,  making  a  total  of  four  and  a  half  to  five  tons  per 
acre  per  year.  This  average  includes  the  alfalfa  grown  on  hard  and 
medium  hard  land  not  particularly  suited  to  the  crop.  On  sandy  loam 
soils  the  yield  per  cutting  would  average  a  ton,  while  a  ton  and  a  half 
per  cutting  is  not  at  all  uncommon,  making  a  total  of  from  six  to  ten 
tons  per  acre  per  season.  In  addition  to  the  hay  produced,  the  land 
furnishes  good  pasture  during  the  winter  season.  Barley  is  usually 
seeded  in  the  field  after  the  last  cutting  to  increase  the  winter  pasture. 

Market. — Hay  production  is  not  considered  profitable  as  compared 
to  dairying,  hog  raising  or  cattle  feeding,  and  consequently  most  of 
the  alfalfa  is  pastured,  although  some  hay  is  always  put  up  for  winter 
feed.  The  alfalfa  should  be  cut  when  about  one-tenth  in  bloom  in 
order  to  produce  the  best  cow  feed.  For  horses  and  mules  it  may 
be  older.  Early  cutting  is  not  only  a  good  practice  from  the  stand- 
point of  hay  production  but  is  essential  in  combatting  the  alfalfa  worm, 
as  shown  in  the  article  on  insect  pests. 

Hay  is  sold  for  from  $4  to  $9  in  the  stack,  the  average  summer  price 
being  from  $5  to  $6,  and  the  winter  price  from  $7  to  $10.  All  of  the 
hay  that  is  shipped  goes  to  the  Los  Angeles  market. 

Alfalfa  pasture  will  support  from  one  cow  on  two  acres  to  two 
cows  per  acre  the  year  round,  depending  upon  the  soil  and  water 


20 


conditions.  Considerable  trouble  is  occasioned  by  bloat,  although  losses 
do  not  generally  occur  from  this  cause  when  the  cows  are  fed  on  hay 
before  being  turned  out  to  pasture  in  the  morning.  After  a  frost  it  is 
well  not  to  pasture  at  night  or  early  in  the  morning,  as  the  alfalfa  is 
apt  to  be  injured  at  that  time. 

Comparatively  little  alfalfa  is  cut  for  seed,  although  great  success 
along  this  line  has  been  secured  in  the  Yuma  Valley  of  Arizona.  On 
the  softer  soils  underlaid  with  water  at  from  four  to  eight  feet  good 
seed  could  undoubtedly  be  secured,  as  failures  reported  are  apparently 


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due  to  the  fact  that  the  water  conditions  were  not  favorable.  The 
second  cutting  is  usually  utilized  for  seed. 

Varieties. — The  common  (Chilean)  alfalfa  is  at  present  the  best 
variety  to  plant.    It  grows  well,  is  hardy  and  stands  heavy  pasturing. 

The  Peruvian  alfalfa,  which  is  gaining  much  in  favor  in  Arizona 
and  elsewhere,  is  well  adapted  to  conditions  here  and  may  soon  prove 
to  be  the  best  variety  for  this  section. 

The  Arabian  alfalfa  grows  well,  especially  during  the  winter 
months,  and  makes  an  excellent  hay,  but  is  not  hardy  enough  to  stand 
pasturing. 

Cultural  Requirements. — Alfalfa  succeeds  on  a  wide  range  of  soils, 
but  will  produce  three  times  as  much  hay  on  some  soils  as  on  others, 


21 

which  indicates  the  necessity  for  care  in  selecting  alfalfa  land.  The 
land  should  be  plowed  and  well  leveled  before  seeding  alfalfa.  Any 
irregularities  in  the  surface  are  sure  to  result  in  a  scalded  patch  with 
an  ultimate  introduction  of  Bermuda  grass.  The  usual  method  of 
planting  is  to  broadcast  the  seed  after  the  land  has  been  thoroughly 
irrigated,  disced  and  harrowed.  The  land  is  then  harrowed  again  and 
then  irrigated.  If  a  crust  forms,  another  light  irrigation  is  given  in 
from  three  to  five  days  to  soften  the  surface  and  allow  the  seedlings  to 
come  through.  No  further  irrigation  is  given  until  the  plants  have 
developed  from  three  to  four  true  leaves,  as  the  silt  will  in  many  cases 
kill  the  stand  by  smothering  the  young  plants. 

Drilling  in  the  seed  is  sometimes  practiced,  and  with  good  results. 
There  is  some  danger  of  getting  the  seed  too  deep,  especially  if  the 
soil  is  at  all  loose.  Drilling  usually  follows  a  thorough  irrigation  of 
the  land  as  soon  as  the  land  becomes  firm  enough  to  disc  and  prepare 
a  seed  bed.  The  moisture  in  the  soil  will  be  sufficient  to  germinate 
the  seed  and  sustain  the  plant  until  safely  out  of  danger  from  damage 
by  silt.  If  the  seeding  is  not  done  when  the  soil  is  moist  enough  to 
sprout  all  of  the  seeds,  the  result  will  not  be  satisfactory,  unless  an 
irrigation  is  given  before  any  of  the  young  alfalfa  plants  that  may 
have  sprouted  come  up. 

Alfalfa  is  usually  seeded  in  October  or  in  the  early  part  of  No- 
vember. If  planted  in  the  spring,  the  young  seedlings  are  apt  to  be 
killed  by  the  blowing  sands  during  the  heavy  wTinds,  or  by  scalding  in 
the  intense  heat  of  early  summer.  However,  much  alfalfa  is  started 
in  the  spring,  even  as  late  as  May.  The  large  percentage  of  silt  carried 
by  the  irrigation  water  during  the  fall  is  the  greatest  objection  to 
planting  at  that  time. 

Cultivation  is  usually  practiced  in  the  fall.  The  alfalfa  is  disced 
thoroughly  after  the  last  cutting.  Twenty-five  to  thirty-five  pounds 
of  barley  are  usually  sowed  broadcast  before  discing,  in  order  to  in- 
crease the  winter  pasture. 

Successful  alfalfa  culture  in  the  Imperial  Valley  depends  more 
upon  the  proper  water  conditions  than  upon  any  other  factor.  To 
produce  a  ton  of  dry  hay  the  alfalfa  plants  must  be  supplied  with 
from  400  to  800  tons  of  water.  If  this  moisture  is  not  available  the 
yield  will  not  be  secured.  Not  only  must  this  moisture  he  present,  hut 
it  must  he  present  in  an  available  form  (see  article  on  irrigation). 
This  means  that  from  4  to  8  inches  in  depth  of  water  must  be  applied 
to  the  land  to  get  one  ton,  correspondingly  more  than  that  to  get  a 
ton  and  a  half  to  two  tons.  Lack  of  this  available  moisture  is  very 
often  the  cause  of  the  poor  yield  frequently  reported.    This  condition 


22 

usually  occurs  on  hard  or  medium  hard  land.  This  can  be  remedied 
by  irrigating  at  least  twice  per  cutting,  with  a  comparatively  small 
head  run  for  a  long  time,  which  will  give  the  moisture  a  good  chance 
to  go  down.  The  moisture  condition  should  be  watched  and  the  irri- 
gation practice  adapted  to  the  need. 

Careless  irrigation  often  results  in  scalding  out  the  alfalfa,  leaving 
bare  places  which  soon  grow  up  to  water  grass  or  Bermuda  grass. 
This  condition  exists  especially  at  the  lower  ends  of  the  fields.  Drains 
at  the  lower  ends  of  the  fields  are  useful.  But  when  such  drains  exist, 
the  tendency  is  to  rely  on  them  too  much,  with  the  result  that  irri- 
gation is  careless  and  much  land  scalded  out. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Alfalfa  is  seriously  affected  by  the  larva  of 
the  yellow  alfalfa  butterfly  {C  olios  eurytheme)  and  by  grasshoppers. 
Euthrips  Tritici  infests  the  blossoms  of  alfalfa,  but  does  little  damage. 
Heliothrips  facietus,  however,  causes  some  damage  to  the  leaves,  giving 
them  a  mottled  appearance.  (For  remedies  see  article  on  Insects.) 
No  disease  of  consequence  in  this  section  is  found  on  the  alfalfa, 
although  the  alfalfa  is  affected  by  leaf  spot  and  rust. 

The  Chalcid  fly  attacks  from  10  per  cent  to  40  per  cent  of  the  seeds 
and  causes  a  serious  loss  in  the  seed  crop.  The  alfalfa  weevil,  which 
causes  so  much  loss  in  Utah,  is  not  present  in  this  section. 

BAELEY 

Adaptability. — Barley  is  the  principal  grain  crop  of  the  valley. 
It  is  better  adapted  to  a  warm  climate  than  any  of  the  other  small 
grains,  although  the  hot  weather  rather  than  the  cold  is  the  limiting 
factor  in  its  growth.  It  is  grown  for  grain,  for  winter  pasture  and  for 
hay,  the  usual  practice  being  to  pasture  the  fields  in  the  fall  and  early 
winter  and  to  let  the  barley  go  to  hay  or  grain  in  the  spring.  In  this 
way  it  forms  a  valuable  green  feed  in  the  winter  when  the  alfalfa  is 
practically  dormant.  The  barley  ripens  in  April  and  May  in  plenty 
of  time  to  prepare  the  land  and  plant  corn  or  milo  maize. 

Varieties. — Common  California  barley  is  almost  universally 
planted.  Beldi,  a  new  early  variety  of  the  six-row  type,  yields  well 
and  has  the  advantage  of  ripening  from  a  week  to  ten  days  earlier 
than  the  common  barley. 

Market. — Barley  is  sold  in  the  sack  at  from  85  cents  to  $1.50  per 
hundred  f.  o.  b.  local  points.  A  good  deal  of  the  barley  raised,  how- 
ever, is  fed  locally. 

Yields. — Barley  yields  from  10  to  25  sacks  per  acre,  12  to  18  sacks 
being  about  an  average  under  ordinarily  good  care. 


,23 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — Barley  is  less  sensitive  than 
other  grains  to  adverse  soil  conditions  and  does  much  better  on  a 
medium  soil  than  on  a  loose  sandy  type.  Barley  is  planted  any  time 
from  September  15th  to  February  1st.  From  30  to  35  pounds  of  seed 
is  used  for  early  planting  and  from  50  to  60  for  later  planting,  when 
the  barley  is  not  so  apt  to  stool  heavily.  The  early  sown  barley  is  used 
as  pasture  and  in  January  allowed  to  go  to  grain. 

The  seed  is  usually  broadcasted  on  land  previously  irrigated,  disced 
and  harrowed.  The  seed  is  then  harrowed  in  and  the  land  irrigated. 
If  the  soil  crusts,  much  of  the  seed  is  apt  to  be  destroyed.  Drilling  in 
the  seed  on  land  still  moist  from  previous  irrigation  gives  excellent 
results,  as  a  perfect  stand  is  almost  assured,  if  the  soil  is  well  soaked 
before  planting.  It  is  a  good  practice  to  drag  the  field  with  a  broad 
drag  after  planting,  to  compact  the  earth  about  the  seed. 

Irrigation. — Barley  is  irrigated  by  flooding,  the  frequency  of  irri- 
gation depending  upon  the  character  of  the  soil.  The  idea  is  to  main- 
tain a  fairly  even  supply  of  moisture  until  ripening  time,  when  the 
last  irrigation  is  given. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  only  insect  pest  of  importance  is  the 
aphis.  This  attacks  the  young  barley  in  February  and  in  many  cases 
totally  destroys  the  crop.  Barley  planted  early  often  escapes,  when 
young  succulent  barley  close  at  hand  is  destroyed. 

Smut  is  found  on  some  grain,  but  can  be  prevented  by  soaking  the 
seed  in  a  formaldehyde  solution. 

COTTON 

Adaptability. — Cotton  is  adapted  to  the  climate  and  soil  conditions 
of  this  section.  The  early  spring  and  long  growing  season,  together 
with  the  fact  that  the  moisture  conditions  can  be  almost  entirely  con- 
trolled, give  ideal  conditions  for  the  production  of  maximum  crops. 

Imperial  Valley  grown  cotton  commands  a  premium  over  cotton 
grown  in  the  South  on  account  of  the  greater  whiteness  of  fiber. 

Varieties. — A  big  problem  facing  the  cotton  raisers  of  the  valley 
is  how  to  select  and  establish,  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  the  variety 
that  will  bring  the  greatest  net  returns.  It  is  highly  important  that 
one  type  be  selected,  as  the  growing  of  several  varieties  in  one  locality 
necessarily  tends  toward  hybridization,  the  results  of  which  are  hard 
to  overcome.  This  is  especially  true  in  this  section,  where  the  cotton 
plant  is  a  perennial,  the  volunteer  plants  always  being  a  source  of 
crossing.  As  would  be  expected  in  starting  a  new  industry,  a  large 
number  of  varieties  of  cotton  have  been  tried.  Out  of  the  number 
three  types  remain. 


24 

Long  Staple. — A  variety  of  cotton  known  as  Durango  is  the  only  long  staple 
variety  grown.  It  is  recommended  as  the  best  cotton  to  plant  at  the  present 
time.  The  staple  averages  an  inch  and  three-sixteenths  to  an  inch  and  a  quarter, 
and  commands  a  premium  of  from  2  cents  to  6  cents  per  pound  over  short  staple. 
The  ginning  percentage  averages  28  to  31  per  cent.  Durango  yields  as  well  as 
short  cotton  under  similar  circumstances  and  has  a  more  upright  growth  and 
less  foliage  than  Triumph,  which  allows  the  lower  bolls  a  better  chance  to  open 
and  mature  and  makes  picking  somewhat  easier.  The  irrigation  of  Durango  is 
very  important,  for  if  not  done  well,  there  is  a  decided  tendency  to  drop  the 
squares  on  the  least  provocation. 

A  number  of  varieties  of  long  staple  cotton  have  been  tried  out,  but  in  most 
cases  have  not  proved  a  success.  Improved  long  staple  upland  cotton  from  the 
south  has  been  grown  on  a  commercial  scale,  but  has  proved  a  failure  on  account 
of  the  small  size  of  bolls  and  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  staple. 

Sea  Island  cotton  has  never  been  a  successful  crop  here,  although  the  plants 
do  fairly  well. 

Egyptian  cotton  has  proved  to  be  well  suited  to  local  conditions  and 
promises  to  become  a  profitable  crop.  The  yields  have  been  satisfactory,  aver- 
aging approximately  a  bale  to  the  acre  when  properly  handled,  while  in  indi- 
vidual cases  a  bale  and  a  half  to  the  acre  has  been  grown.  The  staple  averages 
17/iq  inches  to  1%  inches  and  is  very  fine  and  strong.  The  first  grade  cotton 
sells  for  from  6  to  10  cents  more  per  pound  than  short  staple. 

The  ginning  percentage  of  this  cotton  is  rather  low,  averaging  about  27 
per  cent.  This,  together  with  the  cost  of  picking,  which  averages  2  cents  per 
pound,  as  against  three-quarters  to  l1/^  cents  for  short  staple,  has  discouraged  the 
growing  of  this  type  of  cotton  for  the  present.  The  comparatively  high  cost 
of  picking  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  bolls  are  rather  small,  and  also  to  the  fact 
that  the  cotton  must  be  picked  often  and  clean  in  order  to  get  top  prices  for 
first-grade  product.  There  is  little  doubt,  however,  but  that  this  type  of  cotton 
will  come  into  favor  as  the  large  tracts  of  land  are  divided  up  and  it  becomes 
necessary  to  make  each  acre  count  for  the  most.  When  this  time  comes  this 
section  will  become  noted  for  the  production  of  this  excellent  cotton. 

Short  Staple. — Mebane  Triumph  is  the  only  short  staple  cotton  grown  at 
present.  This  variety  gives  good  results,  as  the  bolls  are  fairly  large,  quite 
storm-resistant,  and  the  ginning  percentage  is  high.  The  cotton  averages  an 
inch  in  length  and  commands  a  premium  over  the  short  staple  of  the  south, 
both  for  length  and  quality.  The  cotton  is  not  injured  by  rains  and  is  there- 
fore white  and  clean. 

Market. — The  cotton  produced  in  this  section  is  sold  at  thirty  points 
or  $1.40  per  bale  off  from  New  York  quotations  on  account  of  freight. 
Most  of  the  cotton  produced  is  shipped  to  the  South,  although  some 
goes  to  the  Oakland  Mills  and  to  Japan. 

Yield. — The  average  yield  for  this  section  is  approximately  a  bale 
to  the  acre.  Many  have,  of  course,  secured  a  much  larger  yield  than 
the  average.  On  good  soils  where  water  conditions  are  favorable  it  is 
safe  to  figure  on  one  bale  and  a  half  to  the  acre. 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — Cotton  is  adapted  to  all  but  the 
very  hard  and  the  very  sandy  soils  of  this  region.     The  plants  resist 


25 

a  comparatively  high  percentage  of  alkali,  when  once  well  started,  and 
will  grow  successfully  on  soil  not  suited  to  most  other  field  crops. 

Cotton  is  planted  from  the  first  of  March  to  the  first  of  June, 
April  being  the  best  month.  The  land  is  plowed  and  irrigated,  then 
furrowed  3y2  feet  apart,  and  irrigated  again.  The  land  is  then 
harrowed  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  dry  enough  and  the  seed  is  drilled  in 
on  the  ridge  and  when  6  inches  to  10  inches  high  is  thinned  to  18 
inches  in  the  row.  Egyptian  cotton  will  yield  better  and  the  cotton 
will  be  easier  to  pick  if  planted  2  inches  apart  and  thinned  to  6  inches, 
as  this  tends  to  reduce  the  otherwise  excessive  vegetative  growth.  It 
is  a  common  practice  to  irrigate  again  soon  after  planting  to  insure  a 
good  stand  and  give  the  young  plants  a  good  start. 

Thorough  cultivation  should  follow  each  irrigation.  The  land 
should  be  kept  in  as  good  a  condition  as  possible,  as  irrigation  without 
cultivation  does  not  give  the  most  satisfactory  results. 

Irrigation. — Cotton  land  should  be  thoroughly  irrigated  before 
planting.  A  comparatively  light  irrigation  often  follows  planting  to 
insure  the  germination  of  the  seed  and  to  give  the  young  plants  a  good 
start.  Water  should  then  be  withheld  and  the  land  well  cultivated 
until  after  chopping  or  until  the  plants  show  a  decided  need.  This 
forces  good  root  development  and  starts  the  plant  well.  Irrigation 
should  follow  frequently  enough  to  prevent  the  plant  from  suffering 
for  water,  but  water  should  not  be  applied  unless  necessary.  Too 
much  water  induces  a  rank  vegetative  growth  at  the  expense  of  fruit- 
ing. This  is  especially  true  with  a  variety  like  Triumph,  which  has 
a  naturally  dense  foliage  that  shades  the  lower  parts  of  the  plant  when 
the  first  bolls  are  formed.  Any  sudden  change  from  a  dry  to  a  wet 
soil  will  cause  a  serious  loss  of  squares,  especially  in  the  Durango 
cotton.  Thorough  cultivation  will  do  much  toward  equalizing  the 
moisture  conditions,  provided  the  first  irrigations  are  thorough. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — This  section  is  free  from  the  boll  weevil,  so  serious  a 
pest  in  the  South.  The  aphid  has  done  more  damage  than  any  other  insect. 
These  insects  attack  the  leaves  and  give  the  whole  plant  a  gummy  appearance. 
The  plants  are  set  back,  but  ultimately  outgrow  the  aphis,  and  the  real  loss  is 
not  great,  although  some  of  the  cotton  is  damaged  by  the  honey  dew. 

Heliothrips  attack  the  cotton  occasionally,  but  are  not  serious  pests. 

The  seed  in  the  ground  is  often  eaten  by  weevil,  especially  when  planted 
early,  where  the  ground  is  cold  and  the  seed  germinates  slowly. 

The  cotton  bolls  are  attacked  occasionally  by  the  boll  worm,  but  the  total 
damage  is  negligible.  Boll  rot  and  anthracnose  are  present  and  cause  some  loss, 
especially  on  over-irrigated  rank  grown  cotton. 

Bucculatrix  thurberiella  Busck.  pierces  the  cotton  leaves  and  is  a  more  or  less 
serious  pest.     Journal  of  Economic  Entomology,  vol.  9,  no.  5,  1916. 


26 

CORN  (MAIZE  OR  INDIAN  CORN) 

Adaptability. — Field  Corn.  Mexican  June  and  Hickory  King  are  the  only 
varieties  of  Indian  corn  so  far  tried  in  this  section  that  have  given  satisfac- 
tory yields.  These  varieties  do  fairly  well  and  may  prove  to  be  a  real  value 
for  use  in  silos,  to  furnish  succulent  feed  for  winter  when  the  pasture  is  short. 
The  stalks  grow  to  be  8-10  feet  high  and  generally  bear  two  ears  to  the  stalk. 
Yields  of  40-70  bushels  are  often  obtained.  The  corn  ear  worm  and  the  flea 
beetle  are  very  serious  pests. 

Sweet  Corn.  The  Mexican  June  corn  is  often  sold  for  table  use,  and  if  picked 
at  the  right  time  is  acceptable.  Many  varieties  of  sweet  corn  will  grow  if 
planted  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  as  recommended  for  field  corn,  but  the  ears 
are  so  badly  injured  by  worms  that  a  good  crop  is  far  from  certain.  Roasting 
ears  are  often  secured  in  fifty  days  from  planting. 

Pop  Corn.  Pop  corn  does  well,  but  the  damage  done  by  the  corn  ear  worms 
makes  successful  production  almost  impossible.  It  is  apparently  well  suited  to 
local  conditions  if  planted  in  the  late  summer  so  that  it  will  be  pollinated  dur- 
ing the  cooler  days  of  early  fall.  The  Pearl  and  Rice  are  both  good  varieties 
for  this  section. 

SORGHUMS 

Adaptability. — All  varieties  of  sorghums  do  Avell  in  this  section. 
Unlike  Indian  corn,  the  sorghums  thrive  during  the  hot  weather. 
Two  crops  a  year  can  be  obtained  by  planting  in  the  spring,  harvesting 
in  July,  and  then  by  irrigation  a  volunteer  crop  is  brought  on,  in  many 
cases  outyielding  the  first  one.  The  great  objection  to  the  sorghums 
is  that  they  do  not  fit  well  in  a  rotation  scheme.  It  is  reported  fre- 
quently that  certain  crops,  such  as  barley  or  cotton,  will  not  always 
do  well  following  a  crop  like  milo.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  known, 
but  the  effect  has  been  attributed  to  lack  of  moisture  (not  likely  under 
irrigation ) ,  to  poor  physical  condition  of  the  soil  and  to  a  toxic  effect 
of  the  roots.  It  is  probable  that  the  bad  physical  condition  of  the  soil, 
especially  where  the  land  is  not  plowed,  is  the  prime  cause.  The 
extent  of  this  condition  can  not  be  stated,  although  it  is  certain  that 
good  crops  have  been  secured  after  milo  in  numerous  cases,  and  that 
milo  has  been  grown  in  rotation  with  cotton  and  barley  successfully. 

Varieties. — Durras.  The  yellow  or  dwarf  milo,  white  durra  or 
Egyptian  corn,  the  brown  durra  and  feterita  are  the  varieties  most 
commonly  planted.  Milo  stands  second  to  barley  in  importance  as  a 
grain  crop.  This  variety  is  popular  on  account  of  the  dwarf  charac- 
teristic, which  makes  harvesting  less  expensive.  The  seed  is  fairly 
well  fixed  in  the  head  and  does  not  scatter,  and  is  not  eaten  by  birds 
so  badly  as  white  durra,  which  scatters  readily.  Feterita  is  rapidly 
becoming  a  popular  grain.  It  ripens  from  a  week  to  ten  days  earlier 
than  milo,  has  larger  and  softer  grains,  produces  an  erect  head  and 
requires  little  water,  but  so  far  has  not  yielded  so  well  as  milo. 


27 

Kafir.  The  White,  Red,  and  Black-hulled  Kafirs  are  all  grown  to 
a  limited  extent.  The  crop  is  very  good  for  fodder,  much  better  in 
this  respect  than  the  durras.  The  fact  that  the  stalks  remain  green 
longer  after  the  grain  is  ripe  gives  this  type  an  advantage  for  fodder. 

Shallu  or  Egyptian  Wheat.  This  sorghum  has  proved  to  be  especi- 
ally adapted  to  the  poorer  soils  of  the  valley,  doing  better  than  other 
varieties  on  alkali  land.  The  small  grain  makes  excellent  chicken  feed 
and  can  be  used  to  make  flour  for  human  consumption.  The  stalks 
are  small  and  numerous  and  very  tall.  Heads  are  open  and  erect. 
Shallu  has  outyielded  any  sorghums  so  far  tried  at  the  Experiment 
Farm. 

Sudan  grass  is  a  member  of  the  sorghum  family,  and  resembles 
Johnson  grass  in  many  particulars.  It  does  not  have  the  underground 
stolons,  however,  which  make  the  Johnson  grass  so  hard  to  eradicate. 
This  grass  can  be  cut  from  two  to  three  times  a  year  and  will  produce 
a  large  amount  of  feed.  On  account  of  its  resemblance  to"  Johnson 
grass,  caution  must  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  seed.  As  a  quick- 
growing  summer  hay  crop  Sudan  grass  has  proved  to  be  profitable  and 
desirable. 

Johnson  Grass  (Sorghum  halepense).    See  article  on  weeds. 

Sweet  Sorghum.  The  sweet  sorghums  have  been  grown  to  quite  an 
extent,  but  are  not  generally  considered  desirable  because  of  the 
superiority  of  the  durras  and  the  Kafir  corn,  and  because  of  the  more 
lasting  effect  of  the  sweet  sorghums  on  the  soil  and  the  difficulty  of 
eradication. 

Market. — A  large  part  of  the  sorghum  grain  raised  is  fed  locally. 
The  milo  has  a  feed  value  about  90  per  cent  of  that  of  Indian  corn. 
Milo  sells  for  from  $15  to  $20  per  ton  in  the  head  or  from  $20  to  $28 
threshed  in  a  normal  year. 

Yield. — Milo  yields  from  one-half  to  two  and  a  half  tons  of  heads 
to  the  acre.  A  ton  is  considered  about  an  average  yield.  Other  varie- 
ties, such  as  feterita  or  Egyptian  corn,  yield  somewhat  less. 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — The  sorghums  are  apparently 
not  so  sensitive  to  soil  conditions  as  many  other  field  crops,  and  will 
do  well  on  a  variety  of  soil. 

The  seed  is  usually  drilled  in  from  6  to  18  inches  apart  in  rows 
3  to  3%  feet  apart  on  previously  irrigated  land.  The  land  is  usually 
irrigated  again  to  bring  up  the  seed,  although  a  better  stand  is  secured 
if  the  soil  is  well  soaked  before  seeding  and  the  land  not  flooded  until 
the  corn  is  well  up.  When  planted  on  a  ridge,  irrigation  after  seeding 
insures  an  almost  perfect  stand,  as  the  soil  is  not  crusted  above  the 
seed  as  in  the  case  of  flooding. 


28 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Sorghums  are  attacked  by  aphis  and  by  flea- 
beetles  when  young,  but  if  the  land  is  well  handled,  so  that  the  crop 
grows  rapidly,  they  will  outgrow  these  pests. 

WHEAT 
Wheat  has  been  grown  in  the  Imperial  Valley  for  the  past  ten  years,  but 
has  never  assumed  large  proportions  on  account  of  the  danger  of  rust,  which  at 
one  time  practically  destroyed  the  wheat  in  the  valley.  It  is  also  apparent  that 
wheat  is  affected  more  by  heat  and  is  more  sensitive  to  soil  conditions  than  is 
barley.  Outside  of  the  one  year  referred  to,  when  rust  was  prevalent  over  the 
entire  state,  rust  has  not  been  a  serious  factor  and  wheat  grown  on  the  Station 
Farm  for  the  past  three  years  has  been  entirely  free  from  rust.  The  following 
varieties  have  yielded  well  and  can  be  recommended  for  planting:  Chul,  White 
Australian,  Bobs,  Propo,  Galgalos,  Kubanka,  King's  Early,  and  Sonora.  Of 
these  Bobs  wheat  has  given  the  best  milling  and  baking  test  and  is  therefore 
the  most  profitable.  It  is  difficult,  however,  to  secure  seed  in  commercial  quan- 
tities, as  this  is  a  new  importation  from  New  South  Wales  and  seed  is  not 
readily  obtainable.  The  White  Australian  or  common  bluestem  gave  the  most 
satisfactory  test  in  the  trials  after  Bobs.  The  wheat  stood  up  well  and  yielded 
over  25  sacks  to  the  acre.  Wheat  can  be  pastured  like  barley  and  is  planted 
and  irrigated  in  the  same  way.  In  order  to  produce  a  good  milling  wheat,  it  is 
well  to  hold  the  water  off  during  the  time  of  filling. 

FIELD  CEOPS  OF  MINOR  IMPORTANCE 
The  following  field  crops  have  been  grown  in  Imperial  Valley  with 
more  or  less  success,  but  plantings  have  never  assumed  commercial 
proportions.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  them  may  be  grown  commer- 
cially in  the-  future  when  more  is  learned  regarding  their  cultural 
needs  and  when  economic  conditions  warrant. 

CLOVERS 

As  alfalfa  takes  the  place  of  all  clovers,  except  perhaps  for  lawns  and  cover 
crops,  there  is  no  particular  reason  for  growing  the  clovers  for  other  purposes. 
The  intense  dry  heat  of  summer  injures  all  the  clovers  which  have  been  so  far 
tried  in  the  valley.  Melilotus,  which  thrives  here  in  the  winter,  may  prove  to 
be  a  valuable  cover  crop.  White  Clover,  if  given  plenty  of  water,  makes  a  fair 
lawn,,  but  does  not  compare  with  lippia  in  value  for  this  purpose.  Burr  Clover 
grows  well  during  the  winter,  but  does  not  make  enough  tonnage  to  warrant 
its  use  as  a  cover  crop.  Bitter  Clover  (Melilotus  indica)  makes  a  vigorous 
growth  between  early  fall  and  late  spring  and  is  one  of  the  best  plants  known 
for  orchard  cover  crops  and  green  manuring.  It  can  be  planted  after  cotton 
is  picked  in  the  fall  and  plowed  under  in  April  in  time  for  spring  planting. 
Such  a  practice  is  recommended,  however,  only  where  it  is  impracticable  to 
grow  alfalfa  in  a  rotation. 

GRASSES 

Australian  Bye  Grass  (Lolium  multiflorum)  is  often  used  for  a  lawn  grass, 
as  it  has  a  very  attractive  appearance  during  the  winter  months.  This  grass 
does  not  do  well  during  the  summer  and  requires  constant  irrigation  to  keep  it 


29 

alive,  and  for  this  reason  is  not  so  good  as  either  lippia  or  Bermuda  grass  for 
this  section.  It  can  be  sown  in  a  Bermuda  grass  lawn  for  winter  growth,  thus 
keeping  a  green  lawn  the  year  round. 

Bermuda  Grass  (Cynodon  dactylon)  is  a  pest  when  out  of  place,  but  a  very 
good  grass  for  certain  purposes.  There  is  no  other  grass  in  this  section  which 
gives  such  good  results  for  a  lawn.  During  the  hot  weather  it  does  well  and 
is  not  killed  by  neglect.  For  hard  land,  where  deep-rooted  plants  do  not  do 
well,  Bermuda  makes  a  good  growth  and  furnishes  excellent  pasture  for  horses, 
mules,  sheep,  or  cattle. 

Blue  Grass  {Boa  pratensis)  grows  well  during  the  winter  season,  but  suffers 
in  hot  weather.  If  care  is  taken  to  keep  the  ground  soaked  it  will  live  through 
the  summer,  but  never  does  well. 

Johnson  Grass  (Sorghum  halipense).     See  article  on  weeds. 

Millet  (Chaetochloa  italica).  Most  varieties  of  millet  do  fairly  well  in  this 
section.  Very  little  millet  is  planted,  however,  since  other  forage  crops  produce 
better  results.  It  is  generally  sown  during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  and 
harvested  in  the  fall.  Frost  kills  it  about  as  readily  as  it  does  Indian  corn. 
Pearl  millet  (Benisetum  spicatum)  can  be  grown  successfully  in  the  spring  and 
will  make  a  good  growth  during  the  spring  and  summer. 

Orchard  Grass  (Dactylis  glomerata)  can  be  made  to  grow  in  the  Imperial 
Valley,  but  it  is  not  suited  to  the  climate  and  its  culture  is  not  recommended. 

Bara  Grass  (Banicum  molle)  was  introduced  into  the  valley  in  1909,  and  has 
made  a  remarkable  growth  in  the  few  patches  where  it  was  planted.  It  is  con- 
sidered a  bad  weed  in  most  tropical  countries,  although  it  is  used  as  a  pasture 
grass  and  for  hay  production.  It  propagates  from  the  nodes  of  the  stem,  and 
consequently  is  hard  to  eradicate  when  once  started  on  wet  land,  but  in  an 
irrigated  section  it  can  be  dried  out  by  withholding  water  and  cultivating  it 
down.  It  may  prove  to  be  a  valuable  plant  for  the  hardest  soils  of  the  valley 
where  alfalfa  will  not  do  well.  It  is  a  rapid  grower  and  can  be  cut  every  six 
weeks  or  so  during  the  summer  time.  While  it  is  sensitive  to  cold,  it  will  with- 
stand any  low  temperature  likely  to  occur  in  Imperial  Valley. 

SUDAN  GRASS 
(See  Sorghums.) 

OATS 
Oats  are  not  successful  as  a  grain  crop,  but  have  been  grown  profitably  as 
a  winter  hay  crop.     The  plants  make  a  big  growth,  but  produce  little  grain. 
The  Texas  Red  variety  is  most  commonly  planted. 

RICE 
Rice  has  been  grown  experimentally  a  number  of  times  with  a  fair  amount 
of  success.  It  will  endure  the  climatic  conditions,  if  the  proper  water  supply 
can  be  obtained.  The  plants  will  not  thrive  in  water  above  98  degrees,  and 
it  would  be  necessary  to  irrigate  rapidly  enough  to  keep  the  water  moving 
well.  The  rapid  deposits  of  silt  where  sufficient  water  is  used  would  cause 
much  trouble  and  expense.  Water  grass  would  tend  to  take  possession  of  the 
fields,  although  this  could  be  more  easily  controlled  than  in  other  sections  on 
account  of  the  fact  that  the  weed  seed  can  be  sprouted  by  irrigation  and  later 
killed  by  discing  before  the  rice  is  sown.     It  is  probable  that  this  crop  will 


30 

never  be  of  commercial  importance,  although  in  Egypt  rice  is  used  as  a  recla- 
mation crop,  and  it  is  possible  that  it  may  be  valuable  here  for  hard  lands 
containing  alkali.  The  rice  could  be  grown  while  the  land  is  being  flooded  for 
reclamation  purposes. 

FLAX 
Flax  has  only  been  grown  in  a  small  experimental  planting  and  very  little 
is  known  as  to  its  possibilities.    It  is  well  suited  to  the  climate  of  the  northern 
states  and  is  quite  sensitive  to  the  summer  heat  and  should  be  planted  in 
October  and  harvested  in  the  spring. 

HEMP 

The  hemp  plant  (Canabis  sativa)  has  been  grown  satisfactorily  in  this  section, 
but  no  data  are  at  hand  regarding  the  yield  secured.  Whether  hemp  will  prove 
to  be  a  valuable  crop  depends  largely  upon  the  economic  conditions. 

SESBANIA 
Colorado  hemp  (Sesbania  microcarpa)  is  a  water  legume  covering  large  areas 
in  the  Colorado  delta.  The  conditions  along  the  Colorado  are  usually  favorable 
for  this  plant  and  almost  impenetrable  jungles  of  it  cover  large  areas  of  delta 
land.  It  grows  ten  feet  high  or  more  and  produces  a  large  crop  of  well-filled 
pods.  The  roots  are  usually  covered  with  large  nodules,  and  it  is  possible  that 
this  plant  may  become  a  valuable  cover  crop.  Many  attempts  have  been  made 
to  utilize  the  strong  fibers  in  the  stem,  but  on  account  of  the  lack  of  effective 
decorticating  machinery  these  attempts  have  failed. 

OKRA 

Okra  does  very  well  indeed  in  this  section,  producing  large  crops  of  good- 
sized  pods. 

SPINELESS  CACTUS 

Spineless  cactus  has  been  grown  in  this  section  for  some  years  and  when 
properly  irrigated  has  yielded  a  large  tonnage  of  slabs.  There  is  little  reason, 
however,  for  growing  cactus  in  an  irrigated  country,  as  water  must  be  applied 
as  in  the  case  of  any  other  crop  in  order  to  secure  a  yield,  and  alfalfa  under 
such  conditions  is  more  profitable.  Cactus  leaves  have  been  successfully  fed  to 
cows  in  conjunction  with  hay  and  may  prove  to  be  good  chicken  feed  for  this 
section. 

SUGAR  CANE 

Sugar  cane  has  been  tried  experimentally  and  has  proved  to  be  well  adapted 
to  this  section.  The  cane  makes  a  very  good  growth  and  when  properly  handled 
should  yield  20  to  40  tons  to  the  acre. 

Sugar  cane  is  propagated  from  joints,  about  two  tons  being  required  to  plant 
an  acre.  The  joints  are  set  about  two  feet  apart  in  rows  six  feet  apart  and 
irrigated  in  furrows.  The  cane  is  harvested  in  November.  No  satisfactory 
variety  tests  have  been  made  as  yet,  although  the  common  purple  cane  has  been 
grown  satisfactorily. 

The  commercial  success  of  sugar  cane  depends  upon  the  establishment  of 
raw  sugar  mills  and  a  sugar  refinery. 


31 

VETCH 

Common  vetch  (Vicia  saliva)  has  been  tried  in  the  valley  with  variable  re- 
sults. Some  report  success  and  others  failure.  As  the  plant  is  killed  by  very 
hot  weather  it  should  be  grown  during  the  winter,  being  planted  i^tOctober  or 
the  early  part  of  November.  Much  experimentation  is  yet  to  be  done  with 
this  plant.  If  it  can  be  made  to  grow  it  will  be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  list 
of  winter  leguminous  cover  crops  for  orchards. 

BEOAD  WINDSOR  BEAN 
The  Broad  Windsor  bean  (Fava  vulgaris)   or  horse  bean,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  does  well  as  a  winter  crop.     It  was  not  affected  by  temperature  as  low 
as  24  degrees  and  yielded  a  heavy  crop.    The  beans  are  rather  thick  coated  and 
have  a  strong  taste,  but  are  relished  by  many  people. 


HORTICULTURAL  CROPS 


Varieties 

Dates 

Date  of 

Crop 

Adaptability 

recommended 

o: 

f  planting 

ripening 

Almond 

Good,  but  not 
recommended 
until  further 
tried 

IXL 

Nonpareil 
Jordon 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

July-Aug. 

Apple 

Poor 

Gravenstein 
White  Winter 
Pearmain 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

June  15-Dec. 

Apricot 

Very  good 

Newcastle 

Royal 

Blenheim 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

May  1-June  10 

Avocado 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Banana 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Blackberry 

Good 

Crandall 's 
Early 
California 
Everbearing 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

May- June 

Cassava 

Very  good 

Feb. 

-Mar. 

June- July 

Cherry 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Citron 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Currant 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Date 

Excellent 

Deglet  Noor 

Hayani 

Thoory 

Menakhir 

Taziza'oot 

Mar. 

-June 

Aug.  1-Dec.  1 

Dewberry 

Very  good 

Gardena 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

May  1-20 

Fig 

Very  good 

Smyrna  Class 
Brown  Turkey 
Black  San 
Pedro 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

May-Oet. 

Gooseberry 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Grape 

Very  good 

Suit  an  in  a 
(Thompson) 
Malaga 
Persian,  Nos. 
21,  23,  26 

Jan. 

-Feb. 

June  15- July  15 

32 


HORTICULTURAL  CROPS— (Continued) 

Varieties 

Dates 

Date  of 

Crop 

Adaptability 

recommended 

of  planting 

ripening 

Guava 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Jujube 

Very  good 

Zyziphus 
Jujube 
Any  variety 

Jan. -Feb. 

Sept.-Nov. 

Kumquat 

Good  for  home 
use 

Marumi 

Jan -Feb. 

Several  crops 
per  year 

Lemons 

Good 

Eureka 
Lisbon 

Oct.-Mar. 

Mar-June 
Sept.-Nov. 

Lime 

Uncertain 

* 

Loquat 

Fair 

Jan.-Feb. 

May-June 

Mulberry 

Very  good 

Black  Spanish 
Black  Russian 
New  American 

Jan -Feb. 

Olives 

Excellent 

Mission 

Manzanillo 

Sevillano 

Jan.-Feb. 

Nov.-Pec. 

Orange 

Good 

Washington 
Navel 
Navelencia 
Thompson 

Nov.-May 

Nov.  1-Jan.  150 

Peach 

Fair 

Jap.  Saucer 
Waldo 
Alexander 
Honey 

Jan.-Feb. 

June-Aug. 

Peanut 

Good 

Virginia  Red 
Jumbo 
Tennessee 
White 

Mar-May 

Sept-Dec. 

Pear 

Good 

Winter  Bartlott  Jan -Feb. 

Aug.-Pec. 

Winter  Nellis 

Pecan 

Good 

Not  tried 
sufficiently  to 
recommend 

Persimmon 

Good 

Tane  Nashi 

Jan.-Feb. 

Oct.-Nov. 

(Japanese) 

Hashia 

Pineapple 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Plum 

Good 

Mariana 
Satsuma 
Red  June 

,  Jan.-Feb. 

May-June 

Prune 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Pomegranate 

Very  good 

Wonderful 
Spanish  Ruby 

Jan.-Feb. 

Sept.-Nov. 

Pomelo 

Very  good 

Marsh 

Jan -May 

Nov.-Dec. 

("Grapefruit) 

Seedless 

Quince 

Good  . 

Orange 

Jan.-Feb. 

Sept.-Doc. 

% 

Champion 
Smyrna 

Raspberry 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Roselle 

Very  good 

Jan.-Feb. 

Oct.-Nov. 

Strawberry 

Good 

Klondike 

Nov. -Feb. 

Feb.-May 
December 

Walnut 

Fair 

Not 

recommended 

commercially 

*  Not  recommended  commercially  until  further  tried. 


33 


FRUITS 

Although  a  large  variety  of  fruit  can  be  successfully  grown,  cli- 
matic and  soil  conditions  favor  the  production  of  certain  kinds  which 
have  special  adaptability  or  the  advantage  of  earliness,  and  which, 
therefore,  command  good  prices  because  of  lack  of  competition.  Many 
fruits  can  and  should  be  grown  for  home  use  that  would  not  pay  in  a 
commercial  planting. 

The  recommendations  given  under  the  heading  of  soils  and  irri- 
gation are  of  great  importance  in  successful  fruit  culture  and  should 
be  carefully  considered. 

The  growing  of  summer  cover  crops  will  undoubtedly  become  a 
common  practice.  The  intense  radiation  of  heat  from  the  light-colored 
soils  has  a  bad  effect  upon  the  trees,  in  many  cases  undoubtedly  causing 
a  dropping  of  young  fruit.  Summer  cover  crops  tend  to  reduce  the 
temperature  of  the  soil,  to  prevent  the  radiation  of  light  and  heat  back 
upon  the  trees,  and  add  the  much  needed  organic  matter.  They  grow 
at  a  time  when  water  is  plentiful  and  when  cultivation  of  the  orchard, 
which  would  otherwise  be  necessary,  is  expensive. 

The  fruits  named  below  are  especially  adapted  to  the  general 
conditions  and  are  recommended  for  commercial  planting  under  the 
particular  conditions  given  in  each  case. 


APRICOTS 

Adaptability. — Of  all  deciduous  fruits  probably  none  is  more  at 
home  in  this  section  than  the  apricot.  The  crisp  winters  and  hot,  dry 
summers  seem  to  be  conditions  needed  by  this  fruit.  All  varieties 
ripen  from  a  week  to  ten  days  earlier  than  corresponding  varieties  in 
other  sections,  which  is  a  distinct  advantage.  It  is  true,  however,  that 
the  yield,  in  most  cases,  is  not  quite  up  to  expectations  and  the  quality 
so  far  has  not  been  equal  to  that  of  the  apricots  produced  in  other 
sections.  For  this  reason,  the  Newcastle,  which  comes  on  to  the  market 
before  apricots  from  any  other  section,  is  the  most  profitable  variety. 
The  Royal  and  Blenheim  are  satisfactory  varieties,  but  as  they'  Qpme 
into  competition  with  the  early  Newcastles  from  other  sections  it  is  a 
question  whether  they  should  be  planted  on  a  commercial  scale.  The 
Hemskirk,  Moorpark,  and  Tilton  have  not  given  good  results  and 
should  not  be  planted,  at  least  until  further  experience  indicates  new 
and  more  successful  methods  of  handling.  Apricots  on  apricot  roots 
are  satisfactory,  but  plum  roots  are  more  resistant  to  wet  soil  and  are 
not  so  subject  to  sour-sap. 


Fig.   10. — A  well   cared  for  apricot   orchard  in   Imperial  Valley  which  has 
paid  well. 


-%% 

Hi 

^30 

1 

.  <i   '} 

».  ]^QIBKfir> . 

Hi-V'*'^Wpt*'> 

^%L, 

.**"> 

■ 

%  ^fci* 

n 

IP 

ii#fr-  ■■'):-- 

^1 

1 

■ 

p 

■     '*fT: 

. 

/  *>.'* 

Fig.  11. — Neglected  trees  which  are  neither  a  success  as  a  commercial  venture 
nor  as  a  home  orchard. 


35 

The  trees  are  usually  set  24  feet  apart  and  pruned  comparatively 
low  to  avoid  sunburn.  Thinning  the  fruit  in  the  early  spring  will 
help  to  increase  the  size  and  the  quality  of  the  apricots  produced. 
Sowing  a  summer  cover  crop  will  prove  valuable.  Apricot  trees  should 
not  be  irrigated  for  too  long  a  time  during  the  hot  days  of  summer, 
as  many  trees  are  thus  killed,  a  condition  known  as  sour-sap  often 
developing.  Water  should  not  be  allowed  to  come  too  close  to  the 
trunks  of  the  trees,  as  scalding  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  very 
common.  It  is  well  to  stir  the  soil  about  the  young  trees  frequently 
to  prevent  a  crusting  of  the  surface  and  an  accumulation  of  alkali. 

Market. — Most  of  the  apricots  shipped  at  present  go  to  the  Los 
Angeles  market,  where  the  bulk  of  the  crop  is  sold  before  strong 
competition  starts  from  other  sections. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Crown  gall  is  the  most  serious  disease  of 
apricots  in  this  section.  Sour-sap,  resulting  from  over-irrigation  dur- 
ing the  summer  months,  must  be  guarded  against.  Root  rot,  also 
resulting  from  over-irrigation,  is  common.  There  are  no  insects  of 
any  economic  importance,  although  San  Jose  scale  has  been  reported 
in  one  instance. 


DATES 

Adaptability. — Coming  from  the  oases  of  northern  Africa  and  from 
the  Persian  Gulf  region,  the  date  finds  its  natural  environment  in 
this  desert  region. 

Varieties. — Over  two  hundred  varieties  of  dates  have  been  im- 
ported from  north  Africa  and  the  Persian  Gulf  region,  many  of  which 
have  produced  crops.  Many  of  the  varieties  are  very  promising,  while 
others  are  rather  inferior  or  not  suited  to  the  conditions.  One  point 
stands  out  prominently,  however,  and  that  is  that  no  one  variety  is 
superior  in  all  sections. 

The  Deglet  Noor,  for  example,  finds  congenial  conditions  in  parts 
of  the  Coachella  and  Imperial  valleys,  but  in  sections  of  lower  total 
heat  units  and  of  high  humidity,  as  in  Tempe,  Arizona,  and  in  parts 
of  the  above  named  valleys,  it  is  not  always  successful  in  ripening  its 
crop  on  the  trees.  The  proximity  of  large  alfalfa  fields,  for  example, 
will  so  affect  the  humidity  in  a  locality  that  certain  sensitive  varieties 
suffer.  More  has  to  be  learned  regarding  the  climatic  conditions  of 
the  date-growing  sections  of  the  old  world  from  which  the  various 
varieties  come  and  regarding  the  climatic  conditions  of  general  local- 
ities in  this  country  in  order  to  make  intelligent  plantings  and  avoid 
mistakes  such  as  have  been  made  in  the  past. 


36 

The  following  varieties  are  perhaps  the  most  promising  among  the 
dates  so  far  tried,  although  they  are  suited  to  various  conditions: 
Deglet  Noor,  Hayani,  Saidi,  Yatimeh,  Taziza'oot,  Thoori,  Asharasi, 
Maktum,  Menakhir. 

There  is  a  greater  opportunity  for  the  development  of  superior 
varieties  of  date  palms  from  seed  than  there  is  with  other  kinds  of 
fruit,  such  as  grapes,  apples,  or  olives,  for  example.  Grown  by  the 
Arabs,  the  palms  have  not  been  scientifically  selected,  the  present 
varieties  being  the  product  of  chance.  Scientific  selection  by  a  study 
of  the  vegetative  characters,  which  are  very  distinct  for  the  different 
varieties,  will  no  doubt  develop  better  varieties  than  any  on  the  market 
at  present.    Every  one  interested  in  the  culture  of  dates  should  plant 


Fig.  12. — A  good  practice  to  follow  in  a  young  date  garden.  Onions  planted 
between  rows  as  a  cash  crop,  while  dates  are  reaching  bearing  age. 

as  many  seedlings  as  possible  with  the  idea  of  selecting  the  few  superior 
palms  that  may  appear,  and  from  them  develop  varieties  of  special 
merit.  The  larger  the  number  of  seedlings  planted  the  greater  the 
chances  of  getting  a  really  superior  date.  No  one  should  plant  seed- 
lings, however,  with  the  idea  of  developing  a  commercial  date  planting, 
as  but  a  small  proportion  will  be  of  value. 

The  large  number  of  miscellaneous  dates  produced  will  soon  spoil 
the  market  unless  great  care  is  exercised  in  the  selection  and  stand- 
ardization of  the  fruit  shipped.  This  should  be  controlled  by  a  date 
growers'  association,  such  as  the  one  now  organized  in  both  the  Coa- 
ch ella  and  Imperial  valleys. 

Varieties  differ  greatly,  of  course,  in  size,  shape,  color,  taste,  sugar 
content  and  consistency.    In  some  cases  each  date  must  be  picked  off 


37 

separately  and  ripened  artificially;  others  can  be  shaken  from  the 
bunch,  practically  ripening  at  once;  still  others  must  be  packed  and 
sold  as  a  quickly  perishable  product.  Dry  or  bread  dates  can  be 
produced  at  a  very  low  cost  and  sold  at  a  profit  for  a  very  few  cents, 
while  others,  such  as  the  Deglet  Noor,  demand  more  time  and  care  in 
the  production  and  must  be  sold  as  a  confection. 

Cultural  Requirements. — As  the  proverb  goes,  the  date  palm  wants 
its  feet  in  the  water  and  its  head  in  the  fire.  The  tree  does  well  on  a 
large  variety  of  soils,  but  seems  to  be  most  at  home  on  the  sandier 
types.  Although  alkali  is  not  necessary  or  desirable  for  the  successful 
growth  of  date  palms,  the  plants  will  stand  large  quantities  of  alkali 
and  will  grow  well  when  the  total  salts  do  not  exceed  2  per  cent. 
However,  on  account  of  its  high  potentialities,  it  deserves  to  be  planted 
on  the  best  land. 

Dates  are  usually  set  30  feet  apart  each  way,  which  allows  some 
crops  to  be  grown  between  the  young  palms.  In  Africa  citrus  trees, 
apricots,  figs  and  vegetables  are  grown  in  the  shade  of  the  large  palms. 

Date  palms  are  not  so  sensitive  to  excessive  irrigation  as  most  other 
plants.  The  soil  about  the  bases  of  palms  may  be  submerged  for 
months  at  a  time  without  the  trees  being  injured.  Too  little  water, 
however,  will  stunt  the  growth  and  lessen  the  yield. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  Parlatoria  and  Marlott  scales  have 
caused  much  trouble  to  the  early  importers.  Fumigation  has  not 
proved  successful  in  eradicating  these  insects,  but  careful  quarantine 
is  now  exercised  to  prevent  their  spread  through  new  importations. 
Much  experiment  work  is  being  done  to  find  a  means  of  exterminat- 
ing the  scale,  and,  if  successful,  the  date  industry  will  not  be  subject 
to  the  enormous  annual  tax  that  the  citrus  industry  now  pays  for 
fumigation. 

The  injury  done  at  ripening  time  can  be  successfully  prevented 
by  cheesecloth  coverings  over  the  date  bunches.  Fumigation  at  the 
time  of  packing  is  essential  with  some  varieties  in  order  to  prevent 
damage  by  weevils  and  their  larvae.  The  souring  of  dates  has  been 
the  source  of  much  loss,  especially  in  the  shipments  of  fresh  dates,  but 
it  appears  that  this  can  be  successfully  handled  by  better  methods  of 
curing  and  packing  and  by  handling  soft,  delicate  varieties  like  any 
other  fresh  fruit. 

POMELO  (GRAPEFRUIT) 

Adaptability. — The  Pomelo,  or  grapefruit,  has  perhaps  greater 
possibilities  than  any  other  citrus  fruit  in  this  section.  The  trees 
grow  vigorously  and  bear  heavy  crops.     The  quality  of  the  fruit  is 


38 

excellent  and  on  account  of  its  earliness  has  a  distinct  advantage  in 
California  markets  over  fruit  from  other  sections.  Green  fruit  can 
be  picked  from  the  trees  and  relished,  as  the  required  sugar-acid  ratio 
is  reached  before  the  fruit  is  colored.  At  present,  quarantine  measures 
prevent  outside  grapefruit  from  being  brought  into  California. 

Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  remarks  on  soils  given 
elsewhere  in  this  bulletin  before  locating  a  citrus  orchard,  for  many 
mistakes  can  thus  be  avoided. 

Young  trees  should  not  be  exposed  to  the  hot  sun  when  being 
transplanted  and  the  trunks  should  be  protected  from  the  sun  until 
the  trees  are  large  enough  to  give  ample  shade.  The  soil  immediately 
about  the  trunk  should  be  thoroughly  mulched  with  straw  or  hay  to 
prevent  baking  or  the  formation  of  an  alkali  crust  and  to  aid  growth. 
Water  should  be  applied  often,  the  frequency  depending  upon  the 
type  of  soil  and  subsoil.  Water  should  not  be  allowed  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  bark  of  the  tree,  but  should  be  run  in  furrows  long 
enough  to  soak  the  ground  well.  The  Florida  Sour  stock  has  given 
the  greatest  satisfaction,  although  Trif oliata  is  being  used  considerably. 

The  Marsh's  Seedless  is  the  only  variety  grown  commercially  in 
the  valley.  Some  of  the  earlier  but  smaller  varieties  may  prove 
profitable.    Only  trees  from  well  selected  stock  should  be  grown. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Citrus  trees  have  not  yet  become  infested 
with  scale  in  Imperial  Valley,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  extensive 
fumigation  carried  on  in  the  citrus  belt  will  not  be  necessary  in  this 
region.  Gum  disease  is  a  serious  factor,  but  by  proper  care  can  be 
successfully  handled.    Mottled-leaf  is  not  uncommon. 

OLIVES 

Adaptability. — The  olive,  a  native  of  the  hot,  dry  country  of  north- 
ern Africa,  is  a  very  promising  fruit,  standing  second  only  to  the  date 
in  its  adaptability  to  the  climatic  conditions  of  southeastern  California. 
It  ripens  in  the  fall  when  labor  is  plentiful  and  the  climate  delightful. 

The"  records  of  the  yields  of  the  few  olive  trees  now  growing  in 
this  section  are  meager,  but  from  the  data  at  hand  it  appears  that 
good  varieties,  such  as  the  Mission  or  Manzanillo,  would  bear  regu- 
larly and  well.  Several  trees  so  far  have  not  borne  good  crops,  but 
it  is  the  opinion  of  the  writer  that  good  yields  will  be  secured  in  well 
cared  for  groves,  unless  an  unusual  dry  spell  coincides  with  the  time 
of  ripening.  Along  the  lower  river  bottom,  especially  in  the  Palo 
Verde  Valley,  it  is  a  question  whether  or  not  any  but  the  Mission 
would  thrive  on  account  of  the  heavy  frosts. 


39 

Varieties.— The  standard,  broad-leaved  or  San  Diego  Mission  is 
undoubtedly  the  best  olive  for  general  purposes.  The  buds  or  cut- 
tings from  which  young  trees  are  started  should  be  selected  from  trees 
of  known  merit,  as  many  Mission  trees  are  inferior. 

The  Manzanillo  is  a  good  olive  for  pickling.  It  is  larger  than  the 
Mission,  but  tends  to  ripen  all  at  once,  thus  making  the  harvest  more 
difficult. 

The  Sevillano  is  a  large  olive  known  commercially  as  the  ' '  Queen 
olive.    It  is  very  attractive,  but  is  somewhat  coarse  in  texture,  is  cling- 
stone and  does  not  have  the  good  flavor  of  the  Mission. 

The  Ascolano  is  also  a  large  variety  of  much  promise. 

Varieties  highly  satisfactory  for  olive  oil  making  are  Mission, 
Correggiola,  Pendulina,  Razza,  and  Nevadillo. 

In  transplanting  young  trees  from  the  nursery  to  the  field  great 
care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  sunburn  of  the  trunk  at  the  surface 
of  the  ground  and  to  prevent  drying  of  the  roots.  The  young  trees 
are  very  tender  and  require  good  care.  It  is  a  good  practice  to  place 
a  deep  mulch  of  dry  straw  around  each  tree  to  stop  the  radiation  of 
the  heat  from  the  hot  soil,  and  to  keep  the  surface  of  the  soil  from 
crusting  about  the  trunks  of  the  trees.  The  careful  treatment  of  the 
young  trees  will  be  well  repaid,  as  the  loss  is  often  great  when  the  work 
is  carelessly  done. 

Olives  require  less  water  for  successful  growth  than  most  trees, 
but  to  produce  a  profitable  crop  the  trees  must  receive  more  water 
than  simply  enough  to  keep  them  alive.  Olive  trees  do  not  do  well  on 
ditch  banks  where  the  roots  stand  in  water. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Olive  trees  grown  in  this  section  are  free 
from  black  scale,  which  hampers  the  industry  on  the  coast.     Olive 
'trees  are  therefore  clean  and  healthy  and  require  no  expensive  spray- 
ing.   Sunburn  of  the  fruit  has  been  reported,  but  has  caused  no  serious 
loss,  especially  when  the  trees  have  been  well  taken  care  of. 

OEANGES 

Adaptability. — The  dry  air  and  bright  sunshine  of  this  section  has  a  distinct 
advantage  in  the  production  of  the  Navel  orange,  since  the  fruit  sweeteus  earlier 
and  gives  a  deeper  red  color  than  is  secured  on  the  coast.  This  marked  advantage 
is  not  possessed  by  the  Valencia,  however,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  culture 
of  this  variety  would  be  sufficiently  profitable  to  warrant  commercial  planting. 
The  Navel  orange  ripens  before  damage  may  be  expected  from  frost,  which  is 
another  advantage  in  its  favor.  The  fact  that  the  Washington  navel  bears  a 
comparatively  light  crop  in  sections  where  high  summer  temperature  and  very 
dry  air  exist  is  a  rather  serious  drawback  to  the  industry,  and  will  undoubt- 
edly have  an  influence  on  the  acreage  planted.     The  Navelencia  has  borne  well 


40 

in  some  cases  and  may  prove  to  be  valuable  commercially.  Many  other  varie- 
ties, however,  may  be  grown  in  gardens  for  home  use,  such  as  Sweet  Seedlings, 
Valencia,  Mediterranean  Sweet,  Paper  Rind,  St.  Michael,  Ruby  Blood  and  others. 

FIGS 

Adaptability. — Figs  grow  luxuriantly  and  bear  heavily  in  this 
section.  In  the  Coachella  and  Imperial  valleys  fig  raising  should  de- 
velop into  a  very  profitable  industry,  but  the  advisability  of  planting 
figs  on  the  lower  lands  along  the  Colorado  River  is  questioned  because 
of  the  danger  of  frost. 

Cultural  Requirements. — Figs  can  be  successfully  grown  with  com- 
paratively little  pruning  and  cultivation.  They  will  stand  more  water 
than  most  trees,  which  makes  them  desirable  for  planting  on  ditch 
banks. 

Varieties. — Accurate  data  on  the  comparative  value  of  the  common 
varieties  are  very  meagre.  The  Black  Mission,  White  Adriatic,  and 
Black  San  Pedro  are  known  to  produce  well  wherever  they  receive 
sufficient  water  and  a  reasonable  amount  of  care. 

The  Smyrna  class  of  figs  do  very  well  and  will  probably  develop 
into  a  crop  of  considerable  importance.  The  Smyrna,  unlike  other 
figs,  must  be  artificially  pollinated  (caprificated)  to  produce  a  crop. 
Successful  introductions  of  the  Blastophaga  (fig  wasps)  have  been 
made  and  much  advance  made  in  this  industry,  especially  by  Mr. 
Francis  Heiny  of  Brawley,  who  has  been  able  to  produce  three  crops 
of  Smyrna  figs  in  a  season.    This  variety  is  especially  good  for  drying. 

Yield.— Fig  trees  bear  three  crops  a  year,  the  second  crop  being 
the  main  one.  Trees  but  a  year  old  will  bear  some  figs,  but  they  do  not 
come  into  heavy  bearing  until  four  or  five  years  old. 

Market. — The  market  for  fresh  figs  is  limited  by  the  difficulty  of  getting  the 
product  to  market  in  good  shape.  Express  shipments  of  caprified  Smyrnas 
packed  in  chests  of  cracked  ice  have  been  made  as  far  as  Boston  with  good 
results,  but  the  future  possibilities  are  unknown.  Fresh  figs  are  safely  shipped 
to  the  Los  Angeles  market.  The  market  for  dried  figs  is  good,  although  little 
developed.  The  industry  will,  of  course,  have  to  face  competition  with  the  old 
world  product. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  figs  are  quite  free  from  injurious  insect  pests  and 
diseases.  Some  figs  are  injured  by  birds  and  wasps,  but  usually  not  unless 
bruised.  The  "Fig  eater"  (Allorhina  mutabilis)  of  Arizona,  the  large  green 
beetle,  which  is  so  destructive  in  the  Salt  River  Valley,  has  not  yet  entered 
California. 

GRAPES 

There  are  strong  reasons  for  believing  that  the  growing  of  early 
table  grapes  will  be  one  of  the  most  profitable  industries  in  this  section. 


41 


Vines  grow  with  remarkable  rapidity  and  vigor  and  the  fruit  ripens 
before  that  of  any  other  region. 

Many  vineyards  have  been  dug  up  as  unprofitable  and  others  yield 
less  profit  than  was  expected.    Many  reasons  are  given,  but  the  main 


Figs.  13  and  14. — The  way  a  vineyard  should  and  should  not  be  cared  for. 
(1)  A  profitable  vineyard.  Vines  pruned  high  with  plenty  of  fruiting  wood. 
(2) Low-pruned  vines  where  grapes  lie  on  the  ground.  A  large  proportion  of 
the  crop  has  to  be  thrown  away. 


42 

causes  of  failure  seem  to  be  planting  in  hard,  unsuitable  soil  and 
failure  to  use  suitable  cultural  methods. 

Over  two  hundred  varieties  have  been  tried  in  the  Imperial  and 
Coachella  valleys,  but  not  over  a  dozen  have  shown  much  promise. 

Varieties. — The  Malaga  is  the  most  common  variety..  It  ripens  late  in  June 
to  early  in  July.  It  ships  well  and  brings  from  $1.25  to  $2.50  per  crate.  The 
yield  has  not  been  heavy. 

The  Sultanina  (Thompson's  Seedless)  is  a  favorite  with  many.  The  fruit 
is  small,  seedless,  of  pleasing  amber  color  and  good  quality.  It  ripens  about 
two  weeks  before  the  Malaga  and  brings  from  $2  to  $3.50  per  crate.  The  vines 
bear  well  when  trellised. 

The  Persian  varieties  21,  23  and  26  are  attracting  attention.  They  are 
earlier  than  the  Sultanina  and  nearly  as  large  as  the  Malaga.  They  have  an 
attractive,  rich,  amber  color  and  loose  bunches  which  are  easy  to  pack  and  ship 
well.  They  have  brought  from  $2.50  to  $4.50  per  crate.  The  crops  have  been 
small,  but  their  great  vigor  indicates  that  trellising  and  long  pruning  may 
increase  their  fruitfulness. 

The  Chavushi  is  a  large,  elongated  grape  of  pleasing  flavor,  almost  as  early 
as  21.    It  is  recommended  for  home  planting. 

The  Hutab  and  Eish  Baba  are  similar  Persian  varieties,  ripening  a  little 
earlier  than  the  Malaga.    They  are  of  striking  appearance  but  poor  shippers. 

The  Muscat  of  Alexander,  Muscat  Albadians,  and  Black  Monukka  are  good 
or  promising  varieties. 

The  Cornichon  is  a  large,  elongated  grape  of  fair  shipping  qualities,  ripening 
two  weeks  later  than  the  Malaga.  It  is  a  good  grape  for  a  late  fall  crop  in  a 
home  planting. 

Soil  and  Cultural  Treatment. — Only  soft,  sandy  soil  is  suitable. 
Cuttings  are  planted  during  the  last  part  of  February  or  the  first  part 
of  March,  preferably  in  the  nursery,  to  be  transplanted  to  the  vine- 
yard a  year  later.  The  young  vines  should  be  staked  and  carefully 
looked  after.  Owing  to  the  vigor  of  the  vines,  the  pruning  should  be 
relatively  long.  When  this  results  in  an  exceptionally  large  crop  the 
bunches  should  be  thinned  to  increase  the  proportion  of  fine  clusters. 

Market. — The  grapes  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Prices  vary  with  the  season  and  the  variety.  The  earlier  shipments 
bring  from  $2  to  $3  or  more  per  box.  In  many  cases  the  grapes  are 
sold  on  the  vines  at  from  $30  to  $40  per  ton,  the  grower  agreeing  to 
haul  them  in  lug  boxes  to  the  cars. 

Irrigation. — The  irrigation  of  the  vineyard  is  one  of  the  most  important 
operations,  but  one  that  as  yet  is  not  clearly  understood.  Various  systems  have 
been  tried,  such  as  heavy  winter  irrigation  with  no  spring  irrigation,  or  light 
irrigations  every  two  or  three  or  four  weeks  during  the  growing  period,  and 
even  up  to  picking  time.  From  moisture  determinations  made  in  a  number  of 
vineyards   irrigated   at   different   times   it   seems   that   the  number   and   time   of 


43 

irrigations  is  a  more  or  less  minor  detail  which  has  to  be  worked  out  by  each 
farmer  for  his  individual  type  of  soil,  the  important  point  being  to  supply  a 
liberal  amount  of  moisture  during  the  whole  growing  season.  On  some  soils 
this  can  be  done  by  heavy  winter  irrigations,  while  on  the  harder  types,  includ- 
ing even  some  sandy  loam  soils,  water  must  be  added  at  intervals  during  the 
spring,  even  up  to  within  three  or  four  weeks  of  picking  time.  Too  little  water 
seems  to  have  as  much  to  do  with  the  formation  of  "water  berries"  as  too 
much.  A  sudden  change  of  moisture  conditions  during  the  sugaring  period 
caused  by  an  irrigation  at  that  time  apparently  causes  a  water  growth,  and 
such  a  condition  should  be  avoided. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  grape  leaf  hopper  is  a  pest  in  this  section,  although 
most  of  the  grapes  are  shipped  before  the  bunches  are  much  damaged.  The 
hoppers  give  the  leaves  a  mottled  appearance  by  August  and  causes  a  good 
many  to  drop,  which  no  doubt  weakens  the  vines. 

Thrips  are  found  in  large  numbers  on  the  blossoms,  but.  cause  no  apparent 
damage. 

Phylloxera  has  never  gained  a  foothold  in  this  section  and  will  probably 
never  be  a  problem  on  account  of  the  strict  quarantine  on  vine  cuttings  from 
the  phylloxera  section  of  the  state. 

It  may  be  necessary  in  some  seasons  to  treat  the  vineyard  with  sulfur  for 
odium  or  powdery  mildew  which  occasionally  occurs. 

Water  berries  are  soft  bluish  grapes  which  occur  frequently  on  vines  re- 
ceiving improper  care,  especially  on  young  vines.  They  must  be  culled  out,  as 
they  do  not  ship  well. 

FRUITS  OF  MINOR  IMPORTANCE 

The  following  fruits  are  well  adapted  to  conditions,  but  have  no 
special  commercial  advantage.  Some  may  be  grown  commercially  at 
a  profit,  while  all  can  be  successfully  grown  in  a  home  orchard. 


PEAR 

Adaptability. — Among  the  fruits  of  secondary  importance  the  pear  stands 
first.  Pear  trees  make  a  very  healthy  and  normal  growth  and  bear  heavily  in 
certain  cases.  The  climate,  however,  is  not  adapted  to  the  production  of  pears 
of  the  best  quality;  the  flavor  and  aroma  of  a  northern-grown  pear  seem  to  be 
lacking. 

-  Varieties.— The  Chinese  pears,  including  LeConte,  Kieffer,  and  Garber,  suc- 
ceed well  when  cross-pollinated.  They  bloom  early  and  set  well.  The  Winter 
Nellis  has  proved  to  be  more  generally  satisfactory  than  any  other  shipping 
pear  in  the  Colorado  and  Salt  River  valleys  in  Arizona.  The  Winter  Bartlett 
is  also  one  of  the  most  promising  varieties,  and  is  the  only  variety  which  has 
been  planted  commercially  in  the  valley.  It  ripens  in  the  late  fall.  The  fruit 
is  apparently  of  good  texture,  but  is  apt  to  be  rough  and  unattractive.  The 
summer  Bartlett,  the  great  pear  of  commerce,  does  fairly  well  and  will  serve 
for  home  planting.  The  Kieffer  is  a  large  attractive  variety,  ripening  about 
the  same  time  as  the  summer  Bartlett,  but  its  quality  is  very  poor.  The 
Madeline  and  Clapp's  Favorite  are  summer  varieties,  too  soft  for  shipment  but 
very  desirable  for  home  use. 


44 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — Pear  trees  can  be  treated  much  like  other 
deciduous  trees.  Care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  sunburn  and  the  trees  should 
receive  a  plentiful  supply  of  water. 

Yield. — In  general,  the  pear  trees  receiving  good  treatment  in  the  valley 
have  borne  well.  The  blossoms  are  seldom  killed  by  spring  frosts  and  the  trees 
bear  early  and  are  full  of  fruit  wherever  the  proper  varieties  have  been  planted 
together  to  insure  cross-pollination.  It  is  probable  that  the  suitable  varieties 
will  yield  satisfactory  crops. 

Market. — The  market  for  the  early  varieties  will  probably  be  limited,  as 
direct  competition  will  have  to  be  met.  Winter  Bartlett  pears  will  have  to 
compete  with  the  summer  Bartletts  produced  in  such  localities  as  the  Antelope 
Valley  or  Tehachapi,  but  as  they  ripen  for  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  markets 
prices  will  probably  be  good. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  pear  blight,  which  has  caused  so  much  loss  in 
other  pear-growing  sections,  has  not  been  reported  as  yet,  although  it  may 
appear  at  any  time.  A  peculiar  knot  appears  on  many  pear  trees,  but  appar- 
ently causes  no  serious  trouble.  The  knot  appears  on  the  limbs  at  the  joints 
and  probably  starts  in  a  bud  injured  perhaps  by  some  insect. 

ALMONDS 

Adaptability. — Although  in  general  the  climate  of  this  section  is  well  adapted 
to  almonds,  as  the  cool  winters,  followed  by  warm,  sunny  and  dry  weather  at 
blooming  and  setting  time,  seem  to  supply  just  what  is  needed  for  the  best 
bearing  of  almonds,  commercial  plantings  should  not  be  attempted  until  more 
is  learned  regarding  the  requirements  of  the  trees  in  this  section.  Some  trees 
in  Imperial  and  Coachella  valleys  have  borne  well,  but  many  of  the  trees  are 
almost  barren  and  have  yielded  little  up  to  the  present  time.  Almond  trees 
make  a  splendid  growth  and  may  ultimately  prove  profitable,  although  at  present 
commercial  plantings  would  not  be  a  safe  investment. 

The  trees  are  handled  as  recommended  for  apricots.  The  Nonpareil  is  a 
good  variety,  but  in  planting  it  is  necessary  to  plant  one  tree  in  four  of  Drake 
Seedling  or  Texas  Prolific  for  pollination  purposes.  The  Jordon  almond  is  also 
recommended. 

APPLE 

The  climate  of  this  section  is  not  well  suited  to  the  growing  of  apples.  The 
high  summer  temperature,  dry  air  and  low  altitude  make  it  very  unlikely  that 
apples  will  ever  be  grown  on  anything  like  a  commercial  scale;  in  fact,  it  is  a 
question  if  it  is  profitable  to  grow  apples  even  in  a  home  garden  when  good  apples 
can  be  purchased  cheaply.  Only  a  few  varieties  bear  well,  and  these  are  likely 
to  fail  early  on  account  of  sunburn,  root  rot  and  other  troubles.  The  Bismark, 
Eed  Astrachan,  Gravenstein,  Black  Ben  Davis,  and  White  Winter  Pearmain  do 
fairly  well  for  home  plantings. 

BLACKBEEEIES 
Some  varieties  of  blackberries  grow  thriftily  and  produce  very  well  when 
given  proper  care.  They  seem  to  delight  in  the  heat  of  summer  and  produce 
a  tremendous  growth  of  canes,  which  should  be  cut  back  considerably  after  the 
crop  is  harvested.  They  require  an  abundance  of  water.  Only  small  patches  of 
blackberries  have  so  far  been  attempted,  but  some  of  these  have  proved  fairly 


45 

profitable.    The  Crandall's  Early  or  California  Everbearing  is  perhaps  the  most 
successful  variety  so  far  tested. 

Loganberries  do  not  seem  so  well  suited  to  the  climate  as  blackberries  and 
are  grown  with  difficulty. 

GUAVA 
The  lemon  guava  is  too  sensitive  to  frost  to  succeed  in  this  section,  except 
in   especially   favored   localities   where    conditions    are   almost    frostless.      The 
strawberry  guava  is  somewhat  more  hardy  and  might  be  expected  to  grow  in 
slightly  protected  situations. 

DEWBERRY 

Dewberries,  particularly  the  Gardena  variety,  produce  abundantly  and  the 
fruit  is  of  excellent  quality,  both  as  to  size  and  flavor.  The  Gardena  is  har- 
vested during  the  first  two  weeks  of  May.  Vigorous  roots  planted  in  the  fall 
will  often  produce  good  crops  the  following  spring.  In  fact,  the  fruit  may 
prove  profitable  for  shipment  to  northern  markets.  The  practicability  of  such 
shipment,  however,  has  not  as  yet  been  thoroughly  determined. 

JUJUBE 

The  Jujube,  sometimes  called  the  Chinese  date  plum,  succeeds  admirably, 
bearing  very  heavy  crops  the  first  year  after  transplanting  from  the  nursery. 
The  tree  is  hardy  and  grows  well,  but  not  luxuriantly.  The  fruit  is  used  in 
making  a  certain  type  of  confection,  but  is  of  no  special  commercial  value. 
The  tree  makes  a  good  ornamental  plant,  as  the  bright  green  leaves  make  the 
tree  attractive. 

KUMQUATS 

This  species  of  citrus  fruit  is  not  grown  in  California  to  any  extent  as  a 
commercial  product.  Kumquats  are  very  desirable  for  eating  fresh  or  for 
making  preserves.  They  will  grow  and  produce  several  crops  of  fruit  a  year, 
although  they  are  likely  to  be  killed  back  to  some  extent  by  the  frost  unless 
protected.  The  variety  Magumi  is  said  to  be  more  hardy  to  cold  than  Nagami. 
Kumquats  deserve  to  be  much  more  generally  planted  in  home  gardens.  The 
trees  are  small  and  do  not  need  much  room  for  development. 

LOQUATS 
The  loquat  tree  grows  slowly,  but  makes  a  very  attractive  evergreen  for 
ornamental  purposes,  as  the  broad  leaves  form  a  marked  contrast  to  the  foliage 
on  the  more  common  trees.  It  blooms  in  mid-winter  and  the  flowers,  being 
tender  to  frost,  are  usually  killed.  Trees  budded  on  quince  stock  are  more 
resistant  than  those  grown  on  their  own  roots. 

LEMONS 
Lemons  do  well,  but  are  not  at  their  best  in  the  hot,  dry  climate  of  this 
region.  The  spring  winds  injure  much  of  the  fruit  unless  well  protected.  As 
the  crop  comes  into  competition  with  that  of  other  sections  it  has  no  advantage 
in  this  locality  except  for  home  use.  The  common  Eureka  lemon  is  perhaps  the 
best  to  plant,  although  other  varieties  do  about  as  well.  The  remarks  regarding 
the  care  of  the  Pomelo  apply  to  the  lemon  also. 


46 


MULBEKEIES 

All  varieties  of  mulberries  may  be  expected  to  grow  well  and  produce 
abundant  fruit.  They  are  valuable  for  avenue  shade  trees,  but  are  subject  to 
criticism  by  many  for  this  purpose  because  of  the  litter  made  by  the  dropping 
fruit.    The  trees  are  especially  useful  both  for  shade  and  fruit  in  poultry  yards. 

The  Russian  mulberries  ripen  very  early,  while  the  Black  Spanish  (Morus 
nigra)  ripens  later.  The  Black  Spanish  mulberries  leaf  out  late  in  the  spring, 
but  they  make  an  extremely  dense  shade  during  the  summer.  The  fruit  of 
this  kind  is  larger  than  that  of  any  other  variety  and  is  quite  palatable,  con- 
taining more  acid  than  the  insipid  Russian  kinds.  The  varieties  recommended 
are  Black  Spanish,  New  American,  Downey,  Black  Russian,  and  Victoria. 

PEACH 

Peaches  have  not  been  a  marked  success  up  to  the  present  time,  although 
the  trees  grow  very  vigorously  and  in  some  instances  bear  well.  In  general 
the  crop  is  light.  The  early  blooming  varieties  are  not  generally  subject  to 
frost  injury,  and  they  usually  bear  more  fruit  than  those  which  bloom  later, 
when  the  air  is  so  dry  and  hot  that  pollination  is  interfered  with.  Such  varie- 
ties often  produce  quantities  of  very  small,  inferior  and  often  double  fruits 
which  have  abortive  pits.  The  trees  suffer  more  or  less  from  sunburn  of  the 
trunks  unless  headed  very  low  and  pruned  to  thick,  compact  heads.  Crown 
gall  of  the  roots  has  caused  much  loss  (see  article  on  Diseases).  Although 
peaches  will  probably  never  be  an  important  or  very  profitable  crop  in  this 
section,  they  can  be  grown  for  home  use.  The  varieties  doing  well  are: 
Japanese  Saucer,  Honey  and  Waldo,  Admiral  Dewey,  Alexander,  McKevitt's 
Cling,  Georgia  Cling.  The  Alberta  has  been  reported  as  doing  well  in  certain 
cases. 

PECAN 

The  pecan  is  native  to  the  moist  alluvial  lands  along  the  river  bottoms  of 
southern  states.  While  the  pecan  is  not  at  home  in  desert  conditions,  the  tree 
will  grow  well  and  produce  good  fruit  in  this  section.  The  pecan,  however,  is 
not  a  promising  tree  from  a  commercial  standpoint,  as  it  would  be  necessary 
to  compete  with  the  produce  coming  from  the  cheap  lands  of  the  south. 

PERSIMMONS 

Persimmons  are  quite  sensitive  to  the  dry  heat  of  this  section.  Young  trees, 
if  not  protected,  are  sunburned  badly  and  are  easily  killed.  The  ground  im- 
mediately about  the  trunk  should  be  well  mulched  with  straw  to  withstand  this 
danger.  The  trees  when  mature  bear  good  crops  of  excellent  quality.  Fruit 
grown  here  seems  to  lack  the  extreme  astringency  found  in  the  product  of  other 
localities.  The  Tane  Nashi  and  Hashia  have  done  well  and  can  be  recommended 
for  home  planting. 

PLUMS 

The  different  species  of  plums,  and  even  in  some  cases  the  different  varieties, 
react  very  differently  to  the  climatic  conditions  and  environment  of  Imperial 
Valley.  Much  work  in  testing  varieties  and  new  seedlings  has  yet  to  be  done 
before  anything  approaching  a  complete  report  can  be  made.  The  remarks 
following  should  be  taken  as  a  summary  of  indications  based  on  such  evidence 
as  is  available  at  the  present  time. 


47 

As  a  rule,  the  varieties  derived  from  American  and  Asiatic  species  and 
hybrids  between  these  species  succeed  much  better  than  the  European  varieties. 
Such  varieties  as  Lombard,  Bradshaw  and  the  various  prunes  either  fail  entirely 
or  produce  so  little  fruit  as  to  be  unprofitable.  On  the  other  hand,  a  number 
of  American  and  Japanese  plums  succeed  admirably  and  produce  heavy  crops. 

The  variety  which  has  been  observed  to  succeed  best  is  the  Marianna,  which 
is  a  hybrid  of  Myrobalan  and  Chickasaw.  This  is  a  small  red  plum  ripening 
in  early  May,  which  is  especially  suitable  for  jellies  and  preserves.  It  grows 
readily  from  cuttings.  Other  promising  varieties  which  are  suggested  for  trial 
as  likely  to  be  profitable  are:  Red  June,  Satsuma,  Doris,  Gonzales,  McCartney, 
El  Paso,  Wildgoose,  Wickson,  Climax,  Chalco,  Burbank,  and  Chabot. 

All  plum  trees  in  Imperial  Valley  should  be  headed  low  and  pruned  so  as  to 
provide  shade  for  the  trunks  and  main  branches.  The  two  great  foes  of  the 
plum  in  the  eastern  states,  the  curculio  and  brown  rot,  are  not  known  in 
Imperial.  The  roots  are  subject  to  crown  gall  disease,  though  not  to  a  serious 
degree.  Plum  culture  in  the  Imperial  Valley  appears  to  us  as  an  inviting  field 
for  experiment. 

POMEGRANATE 

The  pomegranate,  coming  as  it  does  from  Palestine  and  northern  Africa, 
finds  a  congenial  home  in  this  region.  The  plant  thrives  wonderfully  and  fruits 
heavily,  not  being  particular  as  to  soil,  withstanding  a  moderate  amount  of 
alkali.  No  special  pests  of  this  plant  have  been  reported,  although  the  fruit 
sometimes  cracks  and  splits  just  before  ripening.  A  bacterial  disease,  for 
which  no  remedy  is  known,  causes  some  loss  in  certain  parts  where  it  has  be- 
come established.  All  varieties  succeed,  but  the  variety  called  "Wonderful" 
is  the  most  handsome  and  prolific  known  to  the  writer.  The  plants  strike  root 
readily  from  cuttings  and  are,  therefore,  very  easily  propagated. 

Americans  do  not  seem  to  appreciate  this  delicious  and  refreshing  fruit  as 
the  Mexicans  do,  and  it  is  as  yet  hardly  known  in  the  northern  markets.  It  is 
quite  likely  that  with  a  little  enterprise  shown  in  packing  and  marketing,  this 
fruit  would  find  a  market  at  least  for  purposes  of  decoration.  They  would 
reach  general  consumption  later  as  the  people  learn  to  know  them.  However, 
it  is  certain  that  any  family  living  in  the  Imperial  Valley  and  failing  to  grow 
a  few  pomegranates  for  home  use  is  missing  one  of  the  opportunities  of  the 
country. 

QUINCES 

Adaptability. — Quinces  flourish  and  produce  heavily  in  the  Imperial  Valley 
whenever  they  are  given  sufficient  water.  They  withstand  admirably  the  heat 
of  summer,  provided  they  are  headed  low  and  so  pruned  as  to  provide  shade 
for  the  trunk.  Quinces  are  not  very  particular  as  to  the  quality  of  the  soil  and 
are  fairly  resistant  to  alkali. 

So  far  as  known,  quinces  have  never  been  injured  by  the  cold  of  winter  and 
it  is  very  rare  that  their  blossoms  are  killed  by  spring  frosts.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  they  are  used  almost  exclusively  for  jellies  and  preserves,  there  is  not 
a  great  demand  for  the  fruit  on  the  open  market.  Abundant  fruit  for  local 
markets  and  home  use  may,  however,  be  produced  with  ease.  Varieties  sug- 
gested are  Orange,  Champion,  Smyrna,  Meech's  Prolific,  Rea's  Mammoth,  and 
Pineapple. 


48 

EOSELLE 

This  is  a  plant  long  cultivated  in  India  for  its  fiber,  but  recently  introduced 
into  this  country  and  cultivated  for  the  red  fleshy  calyces  which  are  used  in 
making  excellent  jellies  and  jams.  Sauce  made  from  it  may  replace  cranberry 
sauce.  It  is  an  annual  plant,  somewhat  resembling  Egyptian  cotton  in  size  and 
manner  of  growth.  It  is  well  suited  to  conditions  in  Imperial,  making  a  very 
satisfactory  growth  and  producing  well.  No  pests  are  at  present  known,  and 
the  plant  deserves  wider  planting. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  in  beds  under  cover  and  the  plants  set  out  as  early 
as  danger  from  frosts  is  over.  The  product  is  harvested  in  October  and  until 
the  plants  are  killed  by  hard  frosts. 

STRAWBERRIES 

Successful  strawberry  culture  in  this  section  is  beset  with  difficulties,  and  a 
great  deal  of  skill  and  patience  is  required  to  produce  berries  on  a  commercial 
scale  at  a  profit.  Good  strawberries  of  high  quality  can  be  produced,  and  it  is 
quite  likely  that  the  industry  will  eventually  assume  large  proportions,  as  this 
section  offers  an  advantage  in  earliness.  The  industry  is  just  beginning  to 
receive  attention  by  commercial  growers. 

Strawberries  should  be  irrigated  every  six  to  eight  days  to  get  good  results. 
Plants  will  usually  last  two  to  four  years. 

The  Arizona  Everbearing  has  proved  to  be  a  good  variety  for  this  section. 
The  main  crop  comes  during  the  late  spring  and  berries  can  be  picked  from 
January  to  September.  The  Lady  Thompson  is  good,  but  the  picking  season  lasts 
but  three  or  four  weeks.  Other  varieties  recommended  for  home  use  are 
Michel's  Early,  Texas,  and  Excelsior.  Growers  report  that  such  varieties  as 
the  Brandywine,  grown  so  largely  on  the  coast,  die  out  entirely  during  the  hot 
summer. 

TANGERINE 

Of  the  citrus  fruits  the  Tangerines  are,  perhaps,  the  best  adapted  to  this 
section.  They  bear  heavily  and  regularly  and  have  proved  to  be  resistant  to 
frosts  which  have  injured  other  trees.  They  deserve  more  attention  and  should 
be  planted  in  every  farm  orchard.  The  trees  are,  of  course,  sensitive  to  alkali, 
as  are  all  citrus  trees. 

The  investigations  thus  far  conducted  in  Imperial  Valley  do  not 
warrant  planting  the  following  named  fruits  except  for  experimental 
purposes : 

Avocado  Loganberry                            Pineapple 

Banana  Mango                                     Prune 

Cherry  Kumquats                                Raspberry 

Citron  Walnut 

Currants  Gooseberry 

TRUCK  CROPS 

Adaptability. — The  climate  and  soil  conditions  in  southeastern 
California  favor  the  production  of  certain  kinds  of  truck  crops,  such 
as  cantaloupes  or  early  asparagus,  for  which  this  section  is  noted, 


49 

while,  on  the  other  hand,  many  truck  crops  do  not  thrive  on  account 
of  the  high  summer  temperatures.  The  vegetables  of  which  the  leaves, 
stems  or  underground  parts  are  eaten  are,  with  few  exceptions,  hardy 
to  frost.  They  include  cabbage,  cauliflower,  lettuce,  spinach,  beets, 
carrots,  parsnips,  turnips,  radishes,  and  onions.  None  of  these  are 
seriously  injured  by  any  low  temperatures  that  occur  here  and  most  of 
them  can  be  successfully  grown  on  a  commercial  scale  during  the 
coolest  months.  On  the  other  hand,  all  are  quite  sensitive  to  heat, 
most  of  them  being  checked  in  their  growth  or  killed  by  the  heat  of 
summer.  The  profitable  production  of  truck  products  on  a  commercial 
scale  will  be  limited  largely  to  those  crops  which  can  be  grown  out 


Fig.  15. — A  cantaloupe  field  ready  for  picking. 

of  season,  either  during  the  winter  or  early  spring.  Conditions  give 
no  advantage  in  production  other  than  earliness,  and  it  is  not  generally 
considered  profitable  to  compete  with  other  sections  where  the  crops 
can  be  grown  as  successfully  as  here.  A  great  variety  of  crops  can 
he,  and  most  certainly  should  be  grown  for  home  use,  however.  This  is 
often  neglected,  when  with  a  little  care  a  garden  would  produce  a 
large  part  of  the  food  of  the  family.  If  the  garden  is  located  near  the 
ditch  where  water  can  be  secured  by  syphoning  over  the  bank  with  a 
hose  or  through  a  small  gate,  and  if  long  rows  are  used  where  culti- 
vation can  be  done  with  horse  power,  much  of  the  drudgery  of  the  farm 
garden  is  removed. 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — The  production  of  truck  crops 
on  a  commercial  scale  is  almost  limited  to  the  sandy  and  sandy  loam 
soils.     The  heavier  clays  are  too  cold  in  the  spring  and  do  not  allow 


50 


favorable  water  penetration  and  consequent  root  development.  Good 
crops  can  be  raised  successfully  on  clay  loam  soils  free  from  alkali, 
but  for  early  crops  and  for  the  larger  yields  the  softer  soils  give  the 
best  results. 

Early  and  thorough  preparation  of  the  seed  bed  is  essential  to 
success.  The  addition  of  organic  matter  either  by  applying  stable 
manure  or  by  plowing  under  cover  crops  improves  the  soil  wonder- 
fully, and  will  both  increase  the  crop  and  advance  the  ripening  period. 
Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  upon  this  point,  for  there  is  nothing 
that  will  do  the  soils  of  this  section  so  much  good  as  the  liberal  addition 
of  organic  matter. 

Protection  from  early  frosts  or  from  damage  by  wind  storms  is 
often  necessary  for  crops  such  as  cantaloupes  or  tomatoes.  Various 
devices  are  used,  but  oiled  paper  placed  over  each  plant  seems  most 
successful.    The  paper  is  held  in  place  by  dirt  placed  along  the  edge. 

Truck  crops  are  shallow  rooted,  as  compared  to  perennials,  and 
require  more  frequent  but  less  heavy  irrigations.  Water  is  often 
applied  every  week  or  ten  days  during  at  least  a  portion  of  the  season, 
although  careful  cultivation  will  lessen  the  need  for  too  frequent  irri- 
gations. The  irrigator  must  know  the  condition  of  his  soil  and  irrigate 
according  to  the  needs  of  the  plants,  for  it  is  only  through  such  careful 
and  intelligent  study  of  conditions  that  success  can  he  assured. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Insects  do  considerable  damage  to  truck 
crops  in  this  section,  and  in  some  instances  limit  or  even  prevent  the 
successful  growing  of  such  crops  as  cabbages.  These  are  taken  up 
under  the  discussion  of  each  crop. 


TRUCK  CROPS 

Length  of 

Varieties 

Dates 

Dates 

time  occupy- 

Crop 

Adaptability 

recommended 

of  planting 

of  ripening 

ing  land 

Artichoke 

Very  good 

Selected 

Jan -Feb. 

July-Dec. 

All  year 

Asparagus 

Excellent 

Early  Argentei] 
Palmetto 
Conovers 
Collosal 

1  Jan. -Feb. 

Feb.-Apr. 
Dec. 

All  year 

Beans 

Good 

Blackeye 

Mar.-Apr. 

June-Oct.- 

2-9  months 

Pink 

July-Aug. 

Nov. 

Tepary 

Beets 

Good 

Klein 

Jan.-Mar. 

Jan.-July 

5-9  months 

Wanglebener 

Sept.-Oct. 

Oct.-Nov. 

Early  Blood 

Turnip 

Cabbage 

Very  good 

Any  variety 

Seeds  planted 
Aug.-Nov. 

Feb.-May 

5-8  months 

Canteloupe 

Excellent 

Rockyford 

Feb.-Mar. 

May- June 

4-5  months 

51 


TRUCK  CROPS— (Continued) 


Length  of 

Varieties 

Dates 

Dates 

time  occupy- 

Crop 

Adaptability 

recommended 

of  planting 

of  ripening 

ing  land 

Carrot 

Good 

Any 

Aug.-Oct. 
Jan -Feb. 

Jan.-July 
Nov.-Dec. 

5-9  months 

Cauliflower 

Good 

Early  Snowball 

1  Aug.-Nov. 

Feb.-June 

7-8  months 

Celery 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Cowpeas 

Good 

Whippoorwill 
New  Era 
Unknown 

Apr.-Aug. 

June 
Aug.-Nov. 

4-5  months 

Cucumber 

Good 

White  Spine 

Mar.-Apr. 

June- July 

4-5  months 

Eggplant 

Very  good 

Mammoth 
Improved 
Spineless 

Jan. -Feb. 

Sept.-Nov. 

5-8  months 

Lettuce 

Very  good 

Any 

Sept.-Feb. 

Nov.-May 

3-5  months 

Onions 

Very  good 

White  Bermuda  Seed, 

Green, 

7-8  months 

Aug.-Sept. 

Feb.-Apr. 

Sets, 

Ripe 

Oct.-Dec. 

May-July 

Peanut 

Good 

Virginia  Red 
Tennessee 
White 
Jumbo 

Mar-May 

Sept.-Nov. 

4-8  months 

Peas 

Good 

Yorkshire  Hero 

Telephone 

Stratagem 

Sept.-Nov. 
Jan -Feb. 

Dec-May 

4-8  months 

Pepper 

Good 

Red  Chili 
Peppers 

Jan -Feb. 

June-Dec. 

8-9  months 

Pineapple 

Poor 

Not 
recommended 

Potato 

Fair 

Burpee's 

Jan.  1  5- 

May  20- June 

5  months 

(Irish) 

Extra  Early 
Early  White 
Rose 
Triumph 

Feb.15 

Aug.  20- 
Sept.  10 

Nov. 

Pumpkin 

Good 

Any 

June- July 

Oct.-Dec. 

3-5  months 

Radish 

Good 

Any 

Sept.-Jan. 

Oct.- June 

1  month 

Rhubarb 

Fair  to  poor 

Not 
recommended 

Roselle 

Very  good 

Jan.-Feb. 

Oct.-Nov. 

5-8  months 

Spinach 

Good 

Any 

Sept.-Feb. 

Nov.-Apr. 

Squash 

Fair 

Yellow 
Crookneck 
Mammoth 
White  Bush 

Feb.-Mar. 

June-Sept.- 
Nov. 

3-6  months 

Sweet  Potatoes  Very  good 

Vineless  Yam 

Mar.-May 

Sept.-Nov. 

7-8  months 

Jersey  Red 

Southern  Queen 

Tomatoes 

Good 

Stone 

Dwarf 

Champion 

Feb.-Apr. 

June 
Oct.-Dec. 

6-8  months 

Turnips 

Good 

Any 

Aug.-Mar. 

Oct.-May 

3-6  months 

Watermelon 

Very  good 

Chilian 

Mar.-May 

June-No  v. 

4-5  months 

52 


ARTICHOKE 
The  Globe  artichoke  (Cynar  seolymus  L.)  is  a  large,  coarse-growing,  hardy 
perennial  which  does  well  in  this  section,  bearing  heavy  crops.  The  artichoke 
is  not  raised  commercially  here,  but  probably  production  on  a  small  scale  would 
prove  profitable.  It  furnishes  a  very  acceptable  delicacy  for  the  table.  The 
plant  exudes  a  sweet  honey  which  attracts  flies  by  the  hundred.  No  way  has 
been  devised  to  overcome  this  objectionable  feature. 


ASPAEAGUS 

Adaptability. — Climatic  conditions  in  southeastern  California  are 
apparently  ideal  for  the  production  of  early  asparagus.  Grown  on  a 
sandy  loam  soil,  asparagus  produces  well  and  is  ready  to  be  cut  sooner 
than  that  of  the  delta  region  near  Stockton,  where  the  great  bulk  of 
California  asparagus  is  raised. 

Land  planted  with  asparagus  must  be  well  fertilized  with  manure 
to  add  the  necessary  humus  and  nitrogen.  Applications  of  twenty  to 
twenty-five  tons  of  barnyard  manure  per  acre  have  given  wonderful 
results  in  increasing  the  yield  and  in  improving  the  quality.  Aspara- 
gus grown  on  good  land,  well  fertilized  with  manure,  yields  from  100 
to  200  crates  per  acre  per  year.  The  Bermuda  grass  which  is  apt  to 
be  scattered  in  the  manure  must  be  kept  down  with  a  hoe  or  shovel 
and  not  allowed  to  get  a  good  start. 

Asparagus  seedlings  can  be  purchased  on  the  market  or  grown  at 
home.  The  usual  method  is  to  plant  the  seed  in  April  in  rows  4  feet 
apart  and  to  thin  the  plants  to  6  inches  in  the  row.  The  seedlings 
produced  (male  preferred)  are  transplanted  in  the  field  when  a  year 
old,  in  rows  8  feet  apart  and  16  inches  in  the  row,  the  roots  being  set 
in  a  trench  from  9  to  12  inches  deep.  The  asparagus  is  not  cut  until 
two  years  old,  or  three  years  from  seed. 

After  the  spring  cutting,  the  asparagus  is  irrigated  and  allowed  to 
grow  to  maturity.  Water  is  applied  as  required  by  the  soil  and  plant, 
the  purpose  being  to  produce  a  large  top.  The  last  irrigation  is 
usually  given  in  August.  The  tops  are  cut  and  burned  in  December 
and  water  again  applied  early  in  January  to  start  the  new  growth. 
Cutting  begins  the  first  of  February. 

The  early  Argenteil  gives  excellent  results  and  is  the  variety  com- 
monly planted.    Conover's  Collosal  and  Palmetto  are  good  varieties. 

Market. — Practically  all  of  the  asparagus  so  far  raised  has  been 
shipped  to  the  Chicago  market.  Shipments  continue  until  the  aspara- 
gus from  Illinois  begins  to  come  in  in  large  quantities.  Some  aspara- 
gus is  sold  locally  and  in  Los  Angeles,  the  price  going  down  gradually 


53 

until  it  reaches  $1.50,  when  further  shipments  stop.  The  season  lasts 
from  six  to  eight  weeks. 

The  market  for  green  asparagus  is  much  better  in  Chicago  than  in 
New  York,  as  the  New  York  market  prefers  the  large  white  asparagus 
shipped  from  the  delta  region. 

No  asparagus  is  canned,  although  there  is  room  for  a  cannery  to 
use  the  cull  crop  and  to  use  the  asparagus  which  can  be  grown  after 
shipments  become  unprofitable. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — No  insects  attack  asparagus  in  this  region, 
and  the  rust,  so  damaging  in  other  asparagus  sections,  is  not  present 
here,  and  probably  will  never  be  a  serious  factor,  as  the  dry  air  pre- 
vents a  growth  of  the  rust  spores. 

A  disease  leading  to  a  discoloration  and  final  drying  of  the  tops 
in  the  fall,  resulting  in  some  weakening  of  the  plants  and  a  consequent 
reduction  of  yield,  is  prevalent.  The  disease  is  caused  by  a  fungus 
(Cercospora  asparagi),  which  has  been  reported  in  other  sections,  but 
has  never  proved  serious. 

BEANS 
Beans,  being  sensitive  to  dry  air  as  well  as  to  frost,  are  grown  as  a  spring 
and  fall  crop.  Small  experimental  plantings  have  been  tried  in  several  parU 
of  the  valley,  but  no  commercial  plantings  of  any  importance  made  until 
the  spring  of  1915.  Although  fair  crops  of  lima  beans  have  been  secured  by 
planting  in  the  spring  and  harvesting  in  the  fall,  it  is  probable  that  limas  will 
never  be  an  important  crop,  as  they  are  not  naturally  adapted  to  this  dry 
climate.  To  a  less  degree  the  same  applies  to  Pink,  Bayou,  and  White  Beans. 
A  fair  spring  crop  of  Pink  beans  can  be  secured  by  early  planting  and  a  fall 
crop  secured  by  planting  in  August.  Blackeye  beans  do  well  and  will  yield  a 
satisfactory  crop,  and  probably  are  the  best  commercial  beans  for  this  section. 
They  require  from  120  to  140  days  to  mature.  Tepary  beans  mature  from  65 
to  90  days  and  yield  fair  crops,  but  are  probably  not  so  profitable  for  this 
valley  as  the  blackeyes.  The  main  advantage  of  Tepary  beans  is  their  ability 
to  withstand  drought,  which  is  of  no  value  in  this  section.  The  market  for  the 
Tepary  has  not  been  developed,  although  the  demand  for  them  is  increasing. 

BEETS 

Adaptability. — All  kinds  of  beets  do  quite  well  when  grown  during  the  fall 
and  winter  months.  Beets  are  sensitive  to  heat  and  are  somewhat  stunted  by 
sharp  frosts,  but  can  be  successfully  grown  for  home  markets. 

The  seed  is  planted  in  the  fall,  any  time  from  August  to  November.  The 
November  plantings  have  given  the  best  sugar  percentage  in  tests  made  with 
sugar  beets.  If  planted  too  early  the  cold  winter  weather  is  apt  to  stunt  the 
plant  and  cause  premature  seeding.  Too  much  water  produces  a  rapid  growth 
and  makes  a  coarse  beet,  low  in  sugar  content.  No  rule  can  be  followed,  as 
one  has  to  use  judgment  in  applying  the  water  to  get  results.  The  Klein 
Wanzlebener  and   the  Early  Blood   Turnip   are  the   varieties   most   commonly 


54 

planted.  Sugar  beets  have  been  tried  with  fair  success.  The  sugar  percentage 
ranged  from  11  per  cent  to  22  per  cent,  averaging  about  13  per  cent  to  14  per 
cent.  Swiss  Chard,  grown  for  its  succulent  leaves,  thrives  and  produces  well. 
Mangels  are  also  successfuly  grown. 

Market. — Sugar  beets  have  been  grown  in  commercial  quantities  and  shipped 
to  the  Glendale  factory  in  Arizona,  but  such  an  arrangement  was  unsatisfactory. 
Table  beets  are  grown  for  home  market  only,  although  a  beet  of  very  good 
quality  can  be  raised. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  beet  leaf  hopper  has  caused  some  damage  in  the 
beets  raised  in  experiment  plats  and  a  small  beetle  has  caused  a  scarring  of 
some  beets.  Sugar  cane  is  being  tried  as  a  substitute  for  sugar  beets  in  Arizona 
on  account  of  the  damage  done  by  the  beet  leaf -hopper. 


CABBAGE 

Adaptability. — Cabbages  have  been  raised  very  successfully  in  this  section. 
The  plants  thrive  during  the  fall  and  winter  months  and  mature  early  if  not 
attacked  by  aphis  or  the  cabbage  worm.  These  two  pests  have  prevented  any 
recent  commercial  planting.  The  cabbage,  however,  is  well  adapted  to  this 
region  and  should  make  a  successful  winter  crop.  All  varieties  so  far  tried 
have  been  reported  as  satisfactory.  The  seed  is  planted  from  August  to  October 
under  a  light  protection  and  the  young  plants  are  reset  in  the  field  in  October 
or  November.  The  crop  is  harvested  from  the  last  of  February  to  May.  Cab- 
bages need  a  plentiful  supply  of  water.  Irrigation  should  be  frequent  but  not 
heavy. 

Market. — The  market  for  first-class  cabbages  is  good  at  the  time  when  the 
crop  ripens  in  this  section.    The  product  so  far  has  been  sold  in  Los  Angeles. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  main  enemy  to  cabbage  is  the  aphis,  which  appears 
in  great  number  during  the  winter  and  early  spring  months.  The  cabbage  worm 
and  a  small  worm  known  as  the  cabbage  pulsia  cause  considerable  damage. 


CANTALOUPES 

Adaptability. — The  cantaloupe  is  unusually  well  adapted  to  this 
region  and  produces  abundant  crops  of  early  fruit  of  high  quality, 
which  carries  well  for  long  distances.  Owing  largely  to  the  quick 
money  returns,  the  cantaloupe  has  been  a  major  crop.  In  1915  nearly 
6000  cars  were  shipped  during  May  and  June  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.  N 

Old  alfalfa  land  is  especially  suitable  for  cantaloupes.  Liberal 
application  of  barnyard  manure  gives  marked  results  in  yield  and 
earliness.  The  use  of  various  protectors,  especially  parafined  paper, 
has  enabled  growers  to  plant  in  midwinter  and  secure  a  very  early 
crop.  Four  weeks  can  be  gained  in  this  way.  The  seed  is  planted 
in  February  and  the  melons  are  harvested  in  May  and  June.  The 
various  strains  of  the  Rocky  Ford  are  universally  grown.  A  number 
of  new  varieties  have  been  introduced,  but  with  only  slight  success. 


55 

Market. — Cantaloupes  grown  in  this  section  are  shipped  all  over 
the  United  States.  The  problem  of  placing  125  to  200  carloads  a  day 
is  rather  complicated,  requiring  co-operation  among  growers  for  the 
best  results.  Very  efficient  help  has  been  rendered  by  the  Department 
of  Markets. 

Yield. — Cantaloupes  yield  from  120  to  400  crates  per  acre.  On 
the  average,  65  per  cent  of  the  crop  are  standards  (45  melons  per 
crate),  15  per  cent  Jumbos,  and  20  per  cent  Ponies. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  aphis  is  the  main  enemy  to  the  canta- 
loupe industry,  practically  destroying  the  late  crop  in  some  seasons. 
Nematodes  have  caused  some  loss  in  some  sections.  (See  Insects  and 
Diseases.) 


Fig.  16. — Cantaloupe  field,  showing  paraffined  paper  used  in  protecting  young 
vines  from  late  frosts.     Very  early  cantaloupes  are  produced  in  this  way. 

CARROT 
Carrots   grow   well   and   yield   heavy   crops   on   soft   soil.     They   should   be 
planted  in  the  fall  and  grown  during  the  winter  months. 

CAULIFLOWER 

Cauliflower  is  well  suited  to  the  climatic  conditions  of  this  section.  The  plants 
are  more  sensitive  than  cabbage  plants  and  require  more  careful  handling,  but 
a  cauliflower  of  good  quality  can  be  raised  successfully. 

The  aphis,  which  is  such  an  enemy  to  the  cabbage,  attacks  the  cauliflower 
as  well. 

CELERY 

For  the  best  development  of  the  celery  plant  a  cool,  moist  climate  is  required. 
For  this  reason  celery  will  never  be  grown  on  a  commercial  scale  in  the  Imperial 
Valley.  Those  who  wish  to  produce  a  small  amount  of  celery  for  home  use  may 
do  so,  however,  by  planting  the  seed  in  January  or  February  in  a  shaded  bed 


56 

in  a  cool  place  where  the  soil  may  be  kept  constantly  moist.  The  plants  may 
be  set  out  in  the  garden  in  September  or  October  and  shaded  with  brush  until 
they  obtain  a  start.  The  crop  should  be  ready  to  harvest  in  December  and 
January. 

CUCUMBER 
Cucumbers  produce  well  when  planted  either  in  the  spring  or  fall.  If  well 
matured  the  vines  may  live  through  the  hot  weather  of  summer,  although  they 
produce  very  little  good  fruit  during  midsummer.  The  spring  crop  is  planted 
during  March,  while  the  fall  crop  should  be  sown  in  September.  The  White 
Spine  and  Early  Greens  produce  well. 

EGGPLANT 

This  vegetable  is  quite  sensitive  to  frost,  but  decidedly  resistant  to  heat. 
The  plants  nourish  in  this  climate  and  the  fruit  matures  from  the  middle  of 
May  through  the  summer,  provided  an  abundance  of  water  is  given.  The  seed 
may  be  planted  under  a  protective  covering  in  January  and  the  seedlings  trans- 
planted once  in  protected  beds  to  make  them  stocky  and  strong.  When  there 
is  no  longer  danger  from  frost  they  may  be  set  out  in  the  field.  The  Mammoth 
Improved  Spineless  has  been  reported  as  producing  well,  and  we  presume  that 
other  varieties  also  would  succeed. 

LETTUCE 
Lettuce  produces  very  satisfactorily  when  grown  during  the  cooler  part  of 
the  year.  Seed  may  be  sown  in  succession  from  the  latter  part  of  September 
to  the  end  of  February.  All  varieties  so  far  grown  have  given  satisfaction  and 
seem  about  equally  adapted  to  the  region.  Commercial  plantings  have  proved 
profitable  for  winter  markets. 

LICORICE 
The  licorice  plant  is  a  low-growing  perennial  which  spreads  rapidly  by  under- 
ground stolons.     It  thrives  wonderfully  in  the  Imperial  Valley  and  should  be 
regarded  as  a  pest  and  not  allowed  to  gain  a  foothold. 

ONIONS 

Adaptability. — Onions  are  very  successfully  grown  as  a  winter  crop.  The 
seed  is  planted  in  seed  beds  in  September  and  the  young  plants,  with  tops  and 
roots  trimmed,  are  transplanted  in  October  to  December  and  harvested  in 
March  to  May.  The  White  Bermuda  and  Crystal  White  Wax  are  commonly 
planted.  The  sets  are  usually  planted  in  two  rows  on  top  of  a  flat  ridge,  two 
feet  or  so  wide.  Water  is  run  in  furrows  between  the  ridges  and  is  applied 
plentifully,  but  gradually  withheld  as  the  harvest  approaches  in  order  to  secure 
a  firm,  good  shipping  onion. 

Market. — The  market  for  onions  has  been  so  unstable  and  variable  that  some 
years  the  growers  realize  good  profits  and  in  others  they  have  lost  money, 
after  producing  a  good  crop  of  fine  class  onions.  It  is  hoped  that  some  system 
of  marketing  may  be  devised  which  will  place  onion  culture  on  a  more  satisfactory 
and  stable  basis. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Thrip  and  flea  beetles  cause  some  damage  to  young 
plants,  but  if  the  land  is  well  irrigated  and  cultivated  the  onions  will  usually 
come  through  with  little  serious  injury.  Most  of  the  injury  is  done  to  the  tops. 
(See  Insects  and  Diseases.) 


57 


PEAS 

Adaptability. — Garden  peas  do  very  well  during  the  cooler  parts  of  the  year, 
and  the  raising  of  winter  peas  has  become  a  rather  important  industry.  The 
fact  that  peas  are  often  injured  and  sometimes  killed  by  frosts  adds  an  element 
of  chance  that  must  be  considered.  Peas  are  sensitive  to  heat  and  will  not 
endure  the  summer  temperatures. 

Varieties. — The  Yorkshire  Hero  gives  most  general  satisfaction,  although  a 
large  number  of  varieties  have  been  tried  and  all  do  well.  The  Telephone 
Stratagem,  Gradis,  and  Champion  of  England  all  give  good  results  and  are 
recommended. 

Peas  should  be  planted  in  rows  from  2  to  3^  feet  apart,  sometimes  two  rows 
being  planted  on  one  ridge.  The  ground  is  cultivated  until  the  vines  begin  to 
run. 

Peas  should  be  irrigated  lightly  every  eight  or  ten  days  or  two  weeks, 
depending  upon  the  character  of  the  soil.  The  ground  should  be  kept  moist 
enough  to  keep  the  plants  in  a  thrifty  condition. 

Markets. — Some  peas  have  been  grown  for  the  Los  Angeles  market,  but  most 
of  the  product  has  been  sold  locally. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  aphis  is  the  most  serious  enemy  to  the  peas,  although 
they  withstand  its  attacks  better  than  cantaloupes  or  cabbage.  Grasshoppers 
are  a  serious  pest,  especially  when  the  plants  are  young. 

PEANUTS 

Adaptability. — Peanuts  are  adapted  to  this  section  and  if  properly  handled 
will  give  good  yields.  The  tops  make  good  hay,  which  is  relished  by  stock,  and 
as  the  plant  is  a  legume  it  may  prove  profitable  as  an  intercultural  crop. 

Peanuts  must  be  grown  on  a  sandy  soil  in  order  to  give  the  bearing  stem  a 
chance  to  penetrate  into  the  ground.  The  sandier  the  soil  the  better,  as  clay 
tends  to  stick  to  the  shells  and  it  is  often  hard  to  clean  off.  A  good  practice 
is  to  throw  dirt  over  the  center  of  the  plant  to  hold  the  stems  close  to  the 
ground.  The  peanuts  are  planted  any  time  in  the  spring  after  danger  from 
frosts  and  are  harvested  in  about  five  months.  Peanuts  are  of  course  irrigated 
through  furrows.  Water  should  be  applied  frequently  to  keep  the  plants  in  a 
vigorous  condition,  but  the  soil  should  not  be  soaked  during  the  seeding  and 
ripening  period.     No  serious  pests  have  yet  appeared. 

The  common  varieties  planted  are  Virginia  Eed,  Tennessee  White,  and 
Jumbo,  although  any  variety  will  do  well. 

Market. — Peanuts  bear  as  well  in  this  section  as  in  the  established  peanut- 
growing  sections,  judging  from  the  yield  secured  from  individual  plants  or  from 
small  garden  plantings.  The  market  for  peanuts  is  good.  The  valley  product 
is  sold  locally  at  prices  ranging  from  5  cents  to  8  cents  per  pound. 

PEPPER 
Red  peppers  or  Chilis  are  well  adapted  to  Imperial  Valley,  but  up  to  date  not 
enough  have  been  produced  in  the  valley  to  supply  local  markets.  The  seed  is 
planted  in  hotbeds  in  January  and  as  soon  as  danger  of  frosts  is  past  the 
seedlings  are  transplanted  into  permanent  rows  in  the  field.  The  pepper  requires 
much  water  and  during  midsummer  should  be  irrigated  weekly.    Picking  begins 


58 

in  the  latter  part  of  June  and  continues  until  frost  kills  the  plants  in  the  fall. 
Medium  soft  soil  comparatively  free  from  alkali  is  best,  for  the  pepper  plant  is 
quite  sensitive  to  alkali. 

No  insects  or  diseases  have  so  far  been  reported. 


POTATO 

Adaptability. — The  Irish  potato  is  not  adapted  to  this  region,  but 
can  be  grown  profitably  on  a  limited  scale  for  the  early  market. 
Being  sensitive  to  both  the  cold  of  winter  and  the  heat  of  summer, 
the  plants  have  but  a  short  time  in  which  to  mature  a  crop.  The  yield 
has  not  been  high  compared  with  those  of  other  sections,  but  yields 
ranging  from  40  to  100  sacks  have  been  obtained  in  favorable  seasons. 
During  the  growing  season,  potatoes  should  be  watered  quite  fre- 
quently, but  the  land  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  saturated.  As 
harvest  time  approaches,  the  water  should  gradually  be  withheld  to 
improve  the  keeping  qualities,  which  at  best  are  poor. 

Burpee's  Early,  Early  White  Rose,  Triumph,  and  Salinas  are  vari- 
eties which  have  been  tried  with  fair  success. 

Market. — The  potatoes  grown  in  this  locality  are  sold  locally  and 
in  Los  Angeles.    The  early  potatoes  of  good  quality  bring  high  prices. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — Seed  potatoes  should  always  be  treated  (see 
article  on  Insects  and  Plant  Diseases)  before  planting,  as  danger  from 
loss  through  disease  can  then  be  avoided. 

PUMPKIN 

Although  but  little  grown,  the  pumpkin  is  adapted  to  the  country. 
If  planted  in  June  or  July  the  vines  will  grow  throughout  the  summer 
and  mature  fruit  before  frost.  The  ordinary  pie  pumpkin  and  the 
stock  pumpkins  do  well.  They  are  used  chiefly  as  a  supplementary 
food  for  milch  cows. 

RADISH 
All  kinds  of  radishes  so  far  tested  seem  to  do  exceedingly  well  when  grown 
during  the  cool  part  of  the  year.     Seed  may  be  sown  in  succession  from  late 
August  until  April.     Good  quality  is  usually  secured  and  no  particular  skill  is 
required  to  grow  the  crop.     Soft  soil  is,  of  course,  most  desirable. 

EHUBARB 
Rhubarb  makes  a  fair  growth  in  winter,  but  the  plants  die  out  in  summer 
unless  a  considerable  expense  is  incurred  to  shade  and  protect  them  from  the 
hot  sun.     In  fact,  rhubarb  is  so  out  of  place  in  Imperial  Valley  that  it  is  not 
worth  while  to  attempt  to  grow  it. 


59 


SPINACH 
This  delicious  vegetable  may  be  grown  during  fall,  winter,  and  early  spring 
with  the  greatest  ease.     It  does  best  on  land   which  has  been  well  manured. 
Seed  may  be  planted  from  early  September  to  February.    It  requires  an  abund- 
ance of  water.    All  varieties  do  well. 

SQUASH 
The  squashes  are  quite  tender  to  frost,  but  resistant  to  heat.  Both  the  bush 
and  running  varieties  may  be  planted  in  late  February  or  early  March.  They 
require  soft,  rich  land  with  plenty  of  water  for  the  best  development.  Growth  is 
checked  somewhat  by  the  dry,  hot  weather  of  June  and  July,  but  some  kinds, 
especially  the  running  varieties,  will  live  over  the  summer  and  produce  a  second 
crop  in  the  fall.  The  summer  squashes,  such  as  Yellow  Crookneck  and  Mam- 
moth White  Bush,  do  much  better  than  the  winter  squashes  commonly  grown 
in  the  north. 

SWEET  POTATOES 

Adaptability. — Sweet  potatoes  are  adapted  to  this  section,  but  intelligent  care 
is  required  to  produce  a  crop  of  good  quality  as  there  is  a  tendency  to  allow 
the  roots  to  grow  too  fast  and  become  coarse  and  stringy.  The  plants  make  a 
wonderful  growth  and  if  properly  handled  a  large  yield  of  good  sweet  potatoes 
can  be  secured.  The  seed  potatoes  are  usually  planted  in  sub-heated  beds  in 
February  and  set  out  into  the  fields  when  the  slips  are  large  enough,  usually  in 
March.  The  rows  are  six  feet  apart  and  the  plants  set  every  two  feet  in  the 
row. 

The  White  Vineless  Yam,  Southern  Queen,  Jersey  Reds,  and  Yellow  Jersey 
have  been  tried  with  success. 

Markets. — The  local  market  has  been  partially  supplied  and  some  shipments 
have  been  made  to  Los  Angeles.  The  price  obtained  varies  from  $1.50  to  $2.50 
per  100  pounds. 

Insects  and  Diseases. — The  sweet  potatoes  are  free  from  any  special  insect 
pests  or  diseases. 

TOBACCO 
Tobacco  has  been  tried  in  a  small  experimental  way  in  the  Imperial  Valley, 
but  it  has  not  been  grown  sufficiently  to  warrant  commercial  plantings.     In 
the  tests,  Sumatra  and  Cuban  made  a  fair  growth  and  produced  a  leaf  of  fine 
quality.    Great  damage  is  done  by  the  wind  in  whipping  the  leaves  to  pieces. 

TOMATOES 

Adaptability. — The  spring  and  fall  climate  of  this  region  is  quite  well  suited 
to  the  growing  of  tomatoes.  Although  the  plants  are  sensitive  to  the  intense 
summer  heat,  they  will  live  through  that  period  and  start  a  fresh  growth  in 
the  fall.  The  production  of  tomatoes  by  fall  planting  is  not  usually  a  safe 
commercial  undertaking,  as  the  plants  are  apt  to  be  killed  by  the  sharp  frosts 
which  sometimes  occur  in  the  winter  months. 

Soil  and  Cultural  Requirements. — The  seed  is  planted  in  covered  beds  in 
February  and  transplanted  in  a  month  to  six  weeks.  The  plants  should  be 
allowed  to  grow  large  enough  so  that  the  stems  have  strength  and  appear  to 


60 

be  slightly  woody.  Some  get  better  results  by  planting  the  seed  directly  in  the 
field.  But  as  the  young  seedlings  are  quite  tender  better  results  are  usually 
secured  by  growing  the  seedlings  in  a  bed.  The  plants  are  set  out  from  18 
inches  to  2  feet  apart  in  the  rows  which  are  from  4  to  6  feet  apart. 

Yields. — Tomatoes  have  yielded  from  100  to  300  crates  per  acre.  The  yield 
is  usually  not  large  on  account  of  the  comparatively  short  season  of  growth. 

Varieties. — The  Dwarf  Champion  and  Stone  are  the  varieties  chiefly  grown. 
The  Earliania  is  apt  to  sunburn;  the  Bulgaria  has  not  given  very  good  results. 

Market. — Tomatoes  have  been  grown  for  home  market  and  for  shipment  to 
Los  Angeles.  Prices  varied  from  80  cents  to  $2.50,  depending  upon  the  con- 
dition of  the  market.  Tomato  production  has  not  proved  to  be  as  safe  or  as 
profitable  an  industry  as  was  anticipated. 

TURNIPS 
Turnips  easily  endure  the  cold  of  winter,  but  are  killed  by  the  heat  of 
summer.  They  are,  therefore,  easily  grown  during  the  cool  part  of  the  year, 
their  culture  being  very  simple.  Seed  is  planted  at  any  time  from  October  to 
March,  either  in  rows  and  watered  through  furrows  or  broadcasted  and  flooded. 
They  require  an  abundance  of  water  in  order  to  grow  rapidly  and  produce  crisp, 
tender  roots.    No  serious  pests  have  been  reported.     All  varieties  succeed. 

WATERMELONS 
Watermelons  are  suited  to  the  Imperial  Valley.  They  grow  vigorously  and 
produce  abundantly  melons  of  high  quality.  Seed  is  planted  in  March  after 
all  danger  from  frost  is  past,  the  subsequent  treatment  being  much  the  same  as 
for  cantaloupes  (which  see).  Watermelons  are  grown  extensively  for  home  use 
and  local  markets,  but  commercial  shipments  out  of  the  valley  are  limited  to 
the  earliest  market.  The  first  shipments  are  usually  made  during  the  last  week 
in  June. 

ORNAMENTAL  PLANTS 

Without  artificial  ornamentation  the  Imperial  Valley  is  not  an 
attractive  place  in  which  to  live  and  too  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor 
of  encouraging  the  planting  of  trees,  shrubs,  and  ornamental  climbers 
to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  natural  surroundings.  There  is  no 
excuse  for  living  in  a  house  surrounded  by  a  dusty  yard,  with  nothing 
to  make  the  environment  pleasant  and  attractive,  when  there  are  so 
many  quick-growing  ornamental  plants  that  with  little  effort  can  be 
set  out,  and  a  hot,  dusty  and  wholly  uninviting  farmyard  transformed 
into  a  cooler,  shady,  dust-free  park,  as  beautiful  as  any  that  can  be 
found  elsewhere  in  southern  California. 

Every  house  should  be  surrounded  by  a  lawn,  as  it  adds  much  to 
the  comfort  of  the  surroundings.  Bermuda  grass  is  already  present 
in  the  valley  and  as  it  forms  a  most  excellent  lawn,  it  is  undoubtedly 
the  most  satisfactory  grass  to  plant.  A  little  occasional  attention  will 
prevent  it  from  spreading,  especially  if  cut  regularly,  but  if  neglected 


61 

it  soon  spreads  and  the  lawn  becomes  lumpy.  Some  follow  the  practice 
of  cutting  off  the  surface  grass  with  a  sharp  hoe  each  spring  to  get 
rid  of  any  rough  places  that  may  have  come  through  neglect  in  cutting 
regularly. 

GRASSES 
Bluegrass  will  grow  well  during  the  winter  and  will  survive  the  summer  if 
the  lawn  is  irrigated  every  day  or  two.  If  watering  is  neglected  the  grass  will 
soon  die  out.  Bluegrass  and  white  clover  have  been  planted  together  in  a 
number  of  cases.  This  combination  makes  a  very  attractive  lawn,  but  requires 
constant  care  to  prevent  its  dying  out. 


Fig.  17. — Flowers  are  easily  grown  and  add  much  to  home  life. 


Australian  rye  grass  has  been  planted  with  considerable  success.  This  like- 
wise makes  an  attractive  lawn,  but  it  requires  the  same  constant  care  that 
bluegrass  does.  It  is  possible  to  plant  this  rye  grass  in  a  Bermuda  grass  lawn 
in  the  fall  and  thus  keep  a  green  lawn  all  winter  long,  when  the  Bermuda  is 
more  or  less  dormant. 

Lippia  nodiflora  has  been  used  quite  extensively  as  a  lawn  plant.  This  is 
not  a  grass,  but  a  plant  allied  to  Heliotrope  and  Verbena.  It  spreads  rapidly 
by  runners,  but  is  not  hard  to  eradicate  when  desired.  It  is  started  bj'  planting 
runners  at  intervals  of  a  foot  or  so  over  the  lawn  space.  Lippia  stands  drought 
very  well  and  does  not  require  the  care  that  is  necessary  for  any  of  the  above 
mentioned.  The  main  objection  to  Lippia  is  that  it  is  quite  succulent  and 
stains  the  clothing  much  more  than  Bermuda  does. 


62 


SHADE  TEEES 

There  is  nothing  that  will  add  more  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  and  more 
comfort  to  living  conditions  than  shade  trees.  Trees  should  line  every  main 
road  in  the  district  and  every  farm  should  have  a  liberal  planting  of  trees,  not 
only  to  furnish  shade  and  comfort  but  to  supply  fence  posts  and  fire  wood. 

The  most  satisfactory  tree  for  all  purposes  is  the  Eucalyptus.  Several  varie- 
ties have  been  grown  successfully,  but  the  following  are  perhaps  the  most 
favored:  E.  Eostrata  (this  variety  grows  well  and  furnishes  good  fence  posts, 
but  is  very  crooked  in  its  habit  of  growth).  E.  Eudis  (this  variety  makes  a 
very  attractive  ornamental  tree  and  furnishes  good  wood).  E.  Tereticornis 
(gray  gum).    There  are  offered  for  sale  two  types  of  Gray  gum,  the  broad  leaved 


Fig.  18. — An  avenue  lined  with  Eucalyptus  trees. 


and  the  narrow  leaved.  The  narrow-leaved  type,  E.  tereticornis  var.  linearis,  is 
much  the  better  type  for  this  section.  E.  Leucoxylon  (White  gum).  E.  viminalis 
(manna  gum).  E.  polyanthema  (red  box  or  Australian  beech).  E.  Eobusta 
(swamp  mahogany).  The  ordinary  blue  gum  (E.  globulus)  does  not  endure  either 
the  heat  or  the  cold  of  this  region. 

The  following  deciduous  trees  are  recommended  for  planting:  Cottonwood 
(male  or  staminate  trees);  Arizona  Ash;  China  Umbrella  tree;  Mexican  Elder 
(a  small  tree  which  puts  out  fresh  green  leaves  very  early  in  the  spring  and 
is  covered  with  white  blossoms  during  the  summer);  Honey  locust;  fig;  Mulberry 
(for  varieties  see  Mulberry),  Albizzia  jubibrium  and  Sterculia  acerifolia.  Of 
evergreens  the  Pepper  is  perhaps  the  most  ornamental.  Carob  or  St.  John's 
Bread;  Live  Oaks,  Bagote,  Sterculia  diversifolia  (Australian  Bottle  tree); 
Camphor   tree,    Monterey    Cyprus,    Eucalyptus,    Chinese   Arbor   Vitae,    Mission 


63 

Olive,  Acacia  longifolia,  Citrus,  Washingtonia  Canary  or  Date  palms  are   all 
satisfactory  for  ornamental  plantings. 

SHRUBS 
Shrubbery  is  very  useful  for  planting  at  the  sides  of  the  houses  and  for 
banking  along  the  borders  of  a  front  lawn  as  a  boundary  and  to  act  as  a  back- 
ground for  the  flowers.  The  Pomegranate  (Punica  granatum)  and  the  Japanese 
privet  {Legustrum  japonicum)  and  Euonymus  japonica  are  especially  suitable 
for  this  purpose.  Quick-growing  shrubs  are  useful  in  screening  ugly  outbuildings 
and  undesirable  views.     The  Giant  reed   (Arundo  donax)   and  the  castor  bean 


Fig.  19. — The  Arizona  ash  is  a  good  tree  for  planting  around  a  settling  pool. 


are  very  quick  growing  and  thrive  in  the  climate  of  this  section.  With  these 
two  plants  available  and  so  easily  grown  there  is  no  good  excuse  for  having  the 
cow  lot,  pigpen,  etc.,  in  view  from  the  dining  and  living  room  windows.  The 
oleander  in  many  varieties  makes  most  excellent  growth  and  blooms  profusely 
in  this  section.  The  only  objection  to  the  oleander  is  that  the  leaves  are  pois- 
onous, and  for  this  reason  care  should  be  exercised  that  stock  or  children  be 
not  allowed  to  chew  them,  for,  although  very  bitter,  cases  of  poisoning  have 
been  reported.  Several  tamarisks  have  been  planted  and  grow  well,  especially 
Tamarix  hispida  var.  aestivalis.  The  lantana  grows  and  blooms  profusely. 
Several  varieties  of  cactus  and  yucca  are  available  for  those  who  admire  these 
types  of  ornamentals.     The  yucca  bear  beautiful  white  flowers  and  attractive 


64 

dark  blue  berries.  The  Tuna  (Opuntia  tuna)  grows  well  and  may  be  used  for 
a  hedge  or  for  its  fruit.  All  kinds  of  roses  do  well.  The  lilac  has  been  planted 
in  a  number  of  cases,  although  it  is  not  especially  adapted  to  the  region.  The 
Burning  Bush  (Pyrocantha)  and  Pampas  grass  can  be  successfully  grown. 

CLIMBING  PLANTS 

There  are  several  kinds  of  annuals  which  will  climb  and  cover  a  porch  in 
a  few  months'  time,  although  the  perennial  climbers  are,  as  a  rule,  the  most 
satisfactory.  If  these  are  deciduous  they  will  not  only  keep  the  sun  out  in  the 
summer  but  will  let  it  in  in  the  winter. 

The  Virginia  creeper  is  one  of  the  best  known  climbers  in  the  United  States; 
it  thrives  fairly  well  in  this  section.  One  of  its  most  beautiful  features  is  its 
brilliant  red  autumnal  coloration.  The  Periploca  graeca  is  a  rapid  and  vigorous 
grower  and  is  fairly  resistant  to  alkali.  Different  varieties  of  grapes  can  be 
used  to  cover  arbors.  The  Golden  Queen  is  a  rapid  grower,  with  a  very  large 
dark  green  leaf  that  makes  a  very  attractive  arbor  vine.  Hall's  Honeysuckle 
is  also  very  desirable,  almost  evergreen  and  especially  attractive  on  account 
of  the  fragrance  of  its  flowers.  The  trumpet  creeper  (Tecoma  radicans)  is  a 
rather  diffuse  grower  and  is  adapted  as  an  ornamental  rather  than  a  sunshield. 
It  bears  large  red  flowers  all  summer.  Tecoma  gradiflora  also  has  attractive 
flowers.  Other  desirable  flowers  are  Bignonia  tweediana,  Clematis  paniculata, 
Parthenocissus  tricuspidata  (the  Boston  ivy),  and  the  Bougainvillea.  The  latter 
is  somewhat  sensitive  to  frost  and  should  have  some  protection  on  frosty  nights. 
In  the  warmest  places  it  may  be  possible  to  grow  the  beautiful  Solanum  wendlandii, 
which  bears  profusely  large  blue  flowers. 

The  most  desirable  plants  for  covering  an  arbor  are  the  grape  vines,  Bignonia 
tweediana,  and  the  climbing  roses.  For  quick  growth  the  Japanese  morning- 
glory  perhaps  exceeds  any  other  mentioned,  but  is  not  very  satisfactory  for  a 
permanent  growth,  as  the  dead  leaves  and  stems  soon  give  the  arbor  an  untidy 
appearance.  Mina  looata  makes  a  very  quick  growth  and  produces  a  very  at- 
tractive red  and  yellow  blossom  in  the  fall.  The  Kudsu  is  attractive  and  quick 
growing.  The  Japanese  lantern  plant  is  quite  extensively  planted  and  makes  a 
rapid  growth,  although  not  so  attractive  as  many  perennials. 

ANNUAL  AND  PERENNIAL  FLOWERS 
There  is  a  large  number  of  annual  and  perennial  flowers  which  do  well  here. 
The  following  list  is  not  given  as  at  all  complete,  but  as  a  suggestion  for  desir- 
able plantings.  Sweet  peas  do  very  well  during  the  winter  time  (planted  in 
September  or  October).  The  chrysanthemum  does  well.  The  California  Poppy, 
Mignonette,  Nasturtium,  Phlox,  Marigold,  Aster,  Canna,  Dahlia,  Geranium  (in 
protected  places),  Hollyhock,  Daisy,  Sunflower,  Smilax,  Verbena,  Sweet  Alyssum, 
Stock,  and  Wallflower  can  all  be  planted  with  success. 

ROSES 
The  following  roses  are  especially  recommended:  White  Kaiserin  Augusta 
Victoria  (a  good  white  climber) ;  Lamarque  (a  white  climber) ;  Crimson 
Rambler;  Etoile  de  France  (crimson,  very  good);  Gruss  aus  Teplitz  (deep  red 
everbloomer,  very  good) ;  Governor  Wood  (red,  very  good  summer  bloomer) ; 
Black  Prince   (red,  very  good) ;  Papa  Gontier   (brilliant  carmine,  very  good) ; 


65 

Baby  Kambler  (deep  pink,  good);  Caroline  Testout;  Captain  Christy;  General 
Arthur;  Geo.  Pernet  (pink,  good);  Safrano  (deep  faun);  Madame  de  Watte- 
ville  (salmon,  white,  good);  Perle  von  Godesburg  (deep  yellow,  good);  Sunset; 
Dorothy  Perkins;  Catherine  Mermet;  Helen  Gould;  Marie  van  Houtte;  Golden 
Gate;  Bridesmaid;  Eainbow;  M.  P.  Wilder;  Mary  J.  Lang,  and  many  others. 

The  Mannetti  stock  thrives  exceedingly  well  in  this  section  and  most  roses 
will  do  well  if  budded  upon  it.  It  frequently  happens,  however,  that  the  great 
vigor  of  the  Mannetti  causes  it  to  sucker  and  if  the  suckers  are  not  continually 
cut  out  they  will  soon  entirely  choke  out  the  scion. 

WEEDS 

Weeds  have  been  introduced  into  this  section  largely  through  the 
irrigation  water  and  by  the  importation  of  impure  seed.  Although 
noxious  weeds  are  present  and  cause  much  trouble,  there  is  no  section 
where  eradication  is  easier  on  account  of  intense  summer  heat,  to- 
gether with  the  fact  that  on  most  of  the  soil  the  moisture  conditions 
can  be  almost  completely  controlled.  Land  can  be  irrigated  to  sprout 
the  weed  seed  and  then  plowed  or  disced  when  the  plants  come  up, 
thus  destroying  a  large  proportion  of  the  annual  weeds.  By  plowing 
in  the  summer  time  many  of  the  perennial  weeds  can  be  controlled. 
Rotation  of  crops,  however,  is  the  most  successful  method  of  combat- 
ting the  weeds,  and  a  definite  system  of  rotation  should  be  adopted  on 
every  farm. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  weeds  which  have  proved  more  or  less  troublesome: 

Johnson  grass  (Andropogon  halepense)  is  found  in  a  few  places  and  is  being 
eradicated  as  rapidly  as  possible,  through  the  office  of  the  Horticultural  Com- 
missioner. Although  constant  pasturing  with  hogs  or  cattle  will  eventually  kill 
this  weed,  it  is  usually  necessary  to  dig  the  roots  up  entirely  or  keep  the  plants 
cultivated  down  to  the  surface  of  the  ground  for  a  period  of  two  years.  A 
commercial  weed  killer  has  been  used  with  fair  success  by  the  Horticultural 
Commissioner. 

Wild  Morning-glory  (Convolvulus  incanus)  is  another  noxious  weed  found  in 
very  limited  areas.  This  weed  is  hard  to  eradicate,  as  the  time  required  is  an 
important  factor  and  too  often  the  work  is  neglected  before  the  results  are 
complete.  Constant  cutting  of  the  plants  as  soon  as  they  appear  or  a  regular 
cultivation  with  a  weed  cutter  before  they  appear  will  eventually  kill  out  the 
roots.  If  the  work  is  neglected,  however,  the  plants  soon  regain  their  original 
vigor.  Various  chemicals  have  been  tried,  but  with  only  fair  results.  It  is 
possible  to  kill  out  a  small  patch  by  treatment  with  carbon  bisulphide,  but  such 
treatment  is  expensive. 

Bermuda  grass  (Cynodon  dactylon)  is  very  common  and  usually  spreads 
through  the  irrigation  water,  although  the  seed  is  spread  by  cattle  pasturing 
on  patches  of  the  grass.  When  found  in  large  areas,  Bermuda  grass  can  be 
eradicated  by  plowing  during  the  hot  summer  months.  The  land  should  be 
plowed  shallow  and  the  roots  turned  up  and  allowed  to  dry.  In  small  patches 
Bermuda  grass  can  be  dug  up  and  the  roots  dried  out,  or  it  can  be  killed  by 


66 

covering  with  tarred  paper  of  which  the  edges  are  covered  with  dirt  to  keep  out  all 
air.  In  asparagus  plantings,  where  the  land  is  apt  to  become  foul  by  the  intro- 
duction of  Bermuda  grass  through  the  application  of  manure,  the  only  way  to 
keep  the  land  clear  is  by  a  systematic  search  for  the  young  grass  and  digging 
it  out  by  hand  labor.  If  this  work  is  done  often  enough  the  grass  will  not  start 
sufficiently  to  prevent  control.  If  plants  are  allowed  to  get  too  big  the  work 
and  expense  is  great.  No  chemicals  have  proved  satisfactory  so  far  in  eradicating 
Bermuda  grass. 

Bermuda  grass  makes  a  valuble  feed  and  on  certain  soils  is  a  fair  crop. 
The  presence  of  Bermuda  grass  in  alfalfa  pasture,  howrever,  is  of  course  not 
desirable.  Eotation  of  crops  is  the  only  way  of  controlling  it  in  pastures. 
When  there  is  a  good  stand  of  alfalfa  the  Bermuda  grass  will  not  thrive  and 
will  only  get  a  foothold  in  the  bare  spaces.  By  good  farming,  then,  this  grass 
can  be  practically  controlled. 

Dodder  (Cuscuta)  usually  occurs  in  alfalfa  fields  and  can  best  be  killed  by 
burning.  An  easy  way  is  to  pile  dry  hay  on  the  spot  and  burn  it.  This  should 
be  done  as  soon  as  the  dodder  appears,  as  it  spreads  rapidly. 

Wild  asparagus  (Aster  spinosus)  is  a  troublesome  weed,  especially  on  more 
or  less  neglected  fields.  It  sprouts  from  underground  roots  and  is  quite  a  persistent 
weed.  It  is  easily  eradicated  when  the  land  is  planted  with  alfalfa  and  the 
crop  cut  once  a  month,  or  by  good  cultivation. 

Water  grass  (Septochloa  imbricata)  is  common  on  wet  land  or  in  alfalfa 
fields,  especially  in  flooded  places  where  alfalfa  has  been  killed  out.  It  is  a 
quick-growing  annual  which  is  easily  killed  by  cultivation. 

Many  weeds  of  minor  importance  give  considerable  trouble  when  allowed  to 
get  well  started.  They  can,  however,  be  eradicated  by  good  farming,  including 
a  crop  rotation. 

HEEBICIDES 

Thorough  cultivation,  crop  rotation  and  prevention  of  seeding  are 
the  best  methods  of  fighting  weeds,  but  in  some  cases  chemicals  may 
be  used  to  advantage.  Some  of  the  herbicides  not  only  kill  the  weeds 
but  poison  the  soil  to  such  an  extent  that  nothing  will  grow.  This 
would,  of  course,  make  no  difference  in  the  case  of  walks  or  roads 
which  are  to  be  kept  clean. 

Salt. — Acts  as  any  "alkali"  salt. 

Iron  sulfate. — A  10  per  cent  solution  sprayed  on  at  the  rate  of  50 
gallons  per  acre  will  usually  kill  all  weeds  except  grass,  but  it  will  also 
injure  some  crops. 

Copper  sulfate. — A  3  per  cent  solution  sprayed  as  above  is  effective 
on  some  weeds. 

Kerosene. — This  is  rather  weak  in  efficiency  and  sometimes  dan- 
gerous. 

Distillate. — Has  been  reported  as  being  very  effective. 

Carbolic  acid. — This  is  one  of  the  best  herbicides,  as  it  acts  quickly. 

Sulfuric  acid. — Effective,  but  not  recommended. 


67 

Caustic  soda. — Used  for  deep-rooted  or  woody  plants. 

Arsenical  compounds. — Are  lasting  and  very  effective.  (White 
arsenic,  1  pound;  washing  soda,  2  pounds;  water,  3-9  gallons.) 

Formalin. — Is  effective,  and  the  crude  product  in  bulk  can  be 
purchased  cheaply. 

Various  commercial  products  have  been  used  with  fair  success,  but 
as  all  contain  some  one  of  the  compounds  mentioned  above  the  various 
products  have  no  special  merit  over  these  and  are,  moreover,  as  a  rule, 
too  expensive. 

INSECTS  AND  PLANT  DISEASES 

Insect  pests  have  caused  much  loss  in  this  section,  and  owing  to 
the  fact  that  there  is  no  severe  freezing  the  control  is  often  difficult. 
Although  satisfactory  methods  of  combatting  certain  pests  have  not 
as  yet  been  worked  out,  the  following  account  gives  the  best  methods 
known  at  the  present  time. 

Aphids,  or  Plant  Lice,28  are  among  the  most  serious  pests,  causing 
damage  on  cantaloupes,  watermelons,  cabbage,  corn,  barley,  cotton  and 
most  garden  crops.  Spraying  with  tobacco  extract  is  an  effective 
remedy  if  applied  thoroughly  in  a  fine  spray  reaching  every  part  of 
the  plant,  especially  under  the  leaves.  If  a  few  aphids  escape  they 
will  soon  reinfest  the  entire  field.  Fumigation  has  been  tried,  but  the 
expense  is  considered  too  great. 

Destroying  every  infested  plant  in  the  early  part  of  the  season  by 
burning  or  covering  with  dirt  is  recommended  as  a  satisfactory  ex- 
pedient. Early  planted  barley  is  not  apt  to  be  so  seriously  damaged 
as  a  late  planted  crop.  In  the  case  of  barley,  it  is  well  to  let  the  field 
get  as  dry  as  possible,  since  aphids  do  not  thrive  on  any  but  succulent 
growth.  Aphids  on  roses  or  ornamental  plants  can  be  removed  .by  a 
forceful  spraying  with  water.  If  the  aphids  are  completely  washed 
off  the  plants  there  is  little  danger  of  reinfestation. 

Grasshoppers  have  become  a  serious  pest  in  alfalfa  fields  and  in 
gardens.  They  become  most  plentiful  in  August.  Good  farming 
methods,  with  rotation  of  crops  and  thorough  cultivation  of  all  crops, 
including  alfalfa,  will  do  much  to  minimize  the  injury.  Hopper- 
dozers  have  been  used,  but  are  not  effective  unless  used  on  every  farm 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  and  before  the  hoppers  reach  the  winged 
stage.  Poisons  have  been  used  successfully  and  are  recommended  for 
protection  of  garden  or  fruit  trees  where  chickens  are  not  apt  to  be 
poisoned.  A  good  poison  mixture  is  made  as  follows :  Mix  forty 
pounds  of  bran,  two  gallons  of  molasses,  five  pounds  of  arsenic  in  six 

28  A  satisfactory  method  of  spraying  is  described  in  Bui.  No.  174,  111.  Expt. 
Sta. 


68 


gallons  of  water,  and  distribute  at  the  base  of  trees,  or  around  a  garden, 
by  some  system  of  broadcasting.29 

Turkeys  and  chickens  are  great  destroyers  of  grasshoppers  and 
are  often  allowed  to  roam  in  the  alfalfa  field. 

Crickets  cause  some  loss,  although  their  work  is  not  very  notice- 
able.   No  satisfactory  control  has  been  worked  out. 

Flea  beetles  injure  young  corn  and  young  onions.  No  remedy  is 
known. 


Fig.  20. — This  picture  shows  the  cage  used  in  catching  grape  leaf-hoppers. 
Experiments  conducted  in  1911  on  McPherrin  ranch. 

Grape  Leaf-hoppers  appeared  in  Imperial  Valley  in  1909  and  have 
spread  to  all  vineyards. 29a  They  cause  a  mottled  appearance  of  the 
leaves  and  perhaps  weaken  the  vines,  but  do  little  damage  to  the  early 
crop,  as  the  grapes  are  picked  before  the  leaf-hoppers  become  numer- 
ous. The  leaf -hoppers  have  been  more  or  less  satisfactorily  controlled 
in  other  sections  by  the  use  of  a  hopper  cage,  clean  winter  cultivation, 
and  a  nicotine  spray  for  the  nymphs. 

The  alfalfa  worm  (Eurymus  eury theme  Boisd.),  or  larva  of  the 
common  yellow  alfalfa  butterfly,  causes  considerable  damage  to  alfalfa 
in  some  seasons.30    The  damage  from  this  insect  can  be  greatly  lessened 

29  Bui.  No.  142,  Cal.  Agr.  Expt.  Sta.,  Grasshoppers  in  California,  by  C.  W. 
Woodworth;  Cir.  No.  143,  Cal.  Agr.  Expt.  Sta.,  Control  of  Grasshoppers  in 
Imperial  Valley,  by  W.  E.  Packard. 

2»a  Bui.  No.  198,  Cal.  Agr.  Expt.  Sta.,  The  Grape  Leaf -hopper. 

so  For  a  complete  discussion  of  the  work  so  far  done  on  the  control  of  this 
pest  refer  to  Bui.  No.  124,  Bureau  of  Entomology,  U.  S.  D.  A.,  by  V.  E.  Wilder- 
muth. 


69 

and,  in  fact,  made  negligible  by  growing  the  alfalfa  as  rapidly  as 
possible  and  by  cutting  early.  Such  operations  accord  with  the  best 
farm  practice  and  will,  therefore,  not  only  prevent  loss  but  will  in- 
crease the  yield.  The  alfalfa  can  be  cut  before  the  larva  matures 
by  this  practice,  and  by  keeping  the  edges  of  the  fields  clean  and 
by  cutting  close,  most  of  the  worms  will  be  destroyed  before  damage 
is  done.  By  allowing  the  alfalfa  to  come  into  full  bloom,  millions  of 
butterflies  are  attracted  by  the  flowers  and  the  eggs  laid  will  soon 
develop  into  worms  that  will  destroy  the  crop. 

A  bacterial  or  fungous  parasite  attacks  a  large  portion  of  the 
worms  present  in  the  fields  in  the  latter  part  of  July  or  August,  when 
the  humidity  is  relatively  high,  and  often  destroys  90  per  cent  of  the 
larvae. 

The  Corn  Ear-worm  makes  commercial  planting  of  sweet  corn, 
pop  corn  and  certain  varieties  of  field  corn  very  uncertain  and  usually 
unprofitable.  The  thick  husk  on  the  Mexican  June  corn  prevents 
serious  injury  to  that  variety,  but  in  the  case  of  other  varieties  the 
damage  is  very  serious.    No  satisfactory  remedy  is  known. 

Thrips  are  very  common  on  many  plants.  The  Heliothrips  fasci- 
atus  causes  a  mottled  appearance  on  the  alfalfa  leaves  and  often  attacks 
cotton,  causing  portions  of  the  field  to  turn  brown,  as  after  a  frost. 
The  Euthrips  tritici  infests  nearly  every  kind  of  blossom,  but  causes 
little  apparent  damage.    No  remedy  is  known. 

Parlatoria  and  Marlatt  scales  on  the  date  palm  are  the  only  serious 
scale  insects  so  far  reported.  Fumigation  has  not  proved  entirely 
satisfactory  in  combatting  these  insects.  Offshoots  may  be  freed  of 
the  scale  by  dipping  in  a  cresol  solution  for  fifteen  minutes  and  re- 
dipping  again  in  twenty-four  hours.31 

Nematodes  are  present  and  have  caused  some  loss  in  truck  crops, 
but  have  not  as  yet  become  serious.  No  satisfactory  remedy  is  known, 
although  rotation  of  crops  is  advisable. 

Ants. — The  red  "farmer  ant"  (Pogonomyrmex  calif ornicus  Buck.) 
causes  considerable  annoyance  in  this  section.  They  strip  young  trees, 
vines,  or  alfalfa  near  their  nests  and  are  reported  as  the  cause  of  death 
in  young  pigs.  This  latter  report,  however,  has  not  been  proved, 
although  circumstantial  evidence  indicates  that  young  pigs  are  killed 
by  the  sting  of  this  ant.  The  ants  are  easily  killed  by  a  treatment  of 
potassium  cyanide  or  carbon  bisulphide.  Either  of  these  poisons  kill 
the  ant  quickly,  but  do  not  kill  the  eggs,  and  are  apt  to  kill  the  vege- 
tation adjoining  the  nest.    One  method  that  has  been  tried  is  to  soak 

3i  For  more  complete  description  refer  to  "The  Scale  Insects  of  the  Date 
Palm, '  >  by  E.  H.  Forbes,  U.  of  Ariz.,  Bui.  No.  56. 


70 

a  small  bunch  of  cotton  with  carbon  bisulphide,  place  this  over  the 
nest,  preferably  in  a  small  hole  dug  in  the  center  of  the  hill,  and  cover 
the  hole  with  a  bag.  When  time  enough  has  passed  for  the  fumes  to 
penetrate  to  the  bottom  of  the  hole  the  bisulphide  can  be  set  off  with  a 
torch,  thus  exploding  the  hole  and  entirely  disrupting  the  nest.  This 
should  be  done  at  night.  Paris  green  or  London  purple  can  be  used 
effectively  and  is  perhaps  the  best  ant  destroyer,  as  the  poison  does 
not  injure  the  vegetation.  The  poison  can  be  scattered  in  a  ring  about 
the  nest  in  such  a  way  that  the  ants  will  have  to  walk  across  it  in 
getting  food.  The  poison  is  thus  carried  into  the  nest  and  mixed  with 
the  food,  so  that  both  adults  and  young  are  killed.  This  should  be 
repeated  until  the  entire  colony  is  destroyed. 

Among  the  fungous  and  bacterial  disease  we  find  that  those  which 
attack  the  above-ground  parts  of  plants  are  rare  and  do  but  little 
damage.  Parasites  such  as  asparagus  rust,  celery  blight,  and  grape 
mildew  can  scarcely  endure  the  hot  sun  and  very  dry  air.  Soil  fungi 
and  bacteria,  on  the  other  hand,  such  as  Crown  gall  and  Fusarium 
diseases  of  the  roots  of  plants,  may  be  expected  to  become  unusually 
troublesome. 

Smut  on  wheat  or  barley  can  be  controlled  by  soaking  the  seed 
for  ten  minutes  in  twenty-five  gallons  of  water  containing  one  pound 
of  formalin,  then  drying  and  seeding. 

The  root  knot  of  apricots,  peaches,  plums,  etc.,  causes  much  loss. 
No  satisfactory  remedy  is  known,  but  it  is  advisable  to  cut  off  the  galls 
and  paint  the  scars  with  bluestone  paste. 

Boll  rot  in  cotton  is  more  or  less  damaging,  especially  in  the  large 
leafy  stalks  which  form  dense  shade.    No  satisfactory  remedy  is  known. 

Gum  disease  in  citrus  trees  can  be  controlled  by  cleaning  the 
infected  parts  and  painting  them  with  bluestone  paste. 

All  potatoes  should  be  treated  before  planting.  The  following 
formula  taken  from  Circular  No.  120,  University  of  California  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station,  by  W.  V.  Shear,  is  recommended:  30 
gallons  water,  1  pint  40  per  cent  formaldehyde ;  soak  potatoes  in  this 
solution  for  two  hours  before  cutting.  Remove  from  solution,  dry  and 
cut  them. 

Corrosive  sublimate  may  be  used  1  to  1000  parts  water. 


71 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Alfalfa 19 

Almonds  44 

Apple  44 

Apricot  33 

Beans   31,   53 

Blackberries  44 

Beets    53 

Cabbage 54 

Cantaloupe   54 

Carrot 55 

Cauliflower  55 

Celery    56 

Climatic  Conditions  5 

Climbing  Plants  64 

Clovers 28 

Corn  (Maze  and  Indian)  26 

Cucumber    56 

Dates  - 35 

Dewberry    45 

Economic  Conditions  15 

Egg  Plant  - 56 

Figs ~~ 40 

Field  Crops  16 

Flax  30 

Flowers  64 

Fruits  33 

Grapes 40 

Grasses  61 

Guava  - 45 

Hemp 30 

Herbicides  66 

Insects  and  Plant  Diseases  67 

Irrigation 10 

Jujube  45 

Kumquats  45 

Lemons 45 

Lettuce  56 

Licorice  56 

Mulberries  46 

Oats   29 

Okra  30 

Olive 38 


PAGE 

Onions   56 

Orange  39 

Ornamental   Plants  60 

Peanut  57 

Peach  46 

Pear  43 

Peas  57 

Pecan  46 

Pepper  57 

Persimmons  46 

Plum 46 

Pomegranate    47 

Pomelo  37 

Potato   58 

Pumpkin   58 

Quinces    47 

Eadish  58 

Rhubarb  58 

Rice 29 

Roselle  48 

Roses 64 

Sesbania  30 

Spinach  59 

Spineless  .Cactus  30 

Shade  Trees  62 

Shrubs 63 

Squash  59 

Soils 1 

Sorghums  26 

Strawberries    48 

Sudan  Grass 29 

Sugar  Cane  30 

Sweet  Potatoes  59 

Tangerines    48 

Tobacco  59 

Tomato  59 

Turnip  60 

Vetch  31 

Watermelon 60 

Water  Supply 6 

Weeds 65 

Wheat  28 


STATION   PUBLICATIONS   AVAILABLE   FOR   FREE   DISTRIBUTION 


REPORTS 

1897.      Resistant  Vines,   their   Selection,  Adaptation,   and  Grafting.     Appendix  to  Viticultural 
Report  for  1896. 

1902.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1898-1901. 

1903.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1901-03. 

1904.  Twenty-second  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1903-04. 

1914.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural  Experiment   Station,   July, 

1913-June,   1914. 

1915.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural  Experiment   Station,   July, 

1914-June,   1915. 


No. 
168. 

169. 
178. 
184. 

185. 

203. 

207. 
208. 
212. 
213. 
216. 


225. 
230. 
241. 
242. 
244. 
246. 
248. 

249. 
250. 
251. 


No. 
65. 


Observations  on  Some  Vine  Diseases 
in  Sonoma  County. 

Tolerance  of  the  Sugar  Beet  for  Alkali. 

Mosquito  Control. 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist  to 
July   1,    1906. 

Report  of  Progress  in  Cereal  Investi- 
gations. 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist  to 
July  1,  1909. 

The  Control  of  the  Argentine  Ant. 

The  Late  Blight  of  Celery. 

California  White  Wheats. 

The   Principles  of  Wine-making. 

A  Progress  Report  Upon  Soil  and  Cli- 
matic Factors  Influencing  the  Com- 
position of  Wheat. 

Tolerance  of  Eucalyptus  for  Alkali. 

Enological   Investigations. 

Vine  Pruning  m  California,  Part  I. 

Humus   in   California   Soils. 

Utilization  of  Waste  Oranges. 

Vine   Pruning  in   California,    Part  II. 

The  Economic  Value  of  Pacific  Coast 
Kelps. 

Stock-Poisoning  Plants  of  California. 

The  Loquat. 

Utilization  of  the  Nitrogen  and  Organic 
Matter  in  Septic  and  Imhoff  Tank 
Sludges. 


BULLETINS 

No. 
252. 
253. 


254. 
255. 
256. 
257. 
261. 

262. 

263. 
264. 
265. 
266. 

267. 

268. 
269. 
270. 


271. 

272. 
273. 

274. 


70. 


107. 


108. 
109. 


113. 
114. 
115. 
717. 

118. 
121. 

124. 
126. 
127. 
128. 
129. 
130. 
131. 
132. 

133. 
134. 
135. 


The  California   Insecticide  Law. 

The   Extermination    of   Morning-Glory. 

Observations    on    the    Status    of    Corn 

Growing  in   California. 
Hot   Room   Callusing. 
The     Common     Ground     Squirrels     of 

California. 
Spraying  Walnut  Trees  for  Blight  and 

Aphis    Control. 
Grape  Juice. 
Community  or   Local  Extension  Work 

by  the  High  School  Agricultural  De- 
partment. 
Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 
Increasing  the  Duty  of  Water. 
Grafting  Vinifera  Vineyards. 
The    Selection    and    Cost    of    a    Small 

Pumning  Plant. 
The  County  Farm  Bureau. 
Some    Things    the    Prospective    Settler 

Should  Know. 
Alfalfa  Silage  for  Fattening  Steers. 
Spraying  for  the  Grape  Leaf  Hopper. 
House  Fumigation. 
Insecticide  Formulas. 
The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects. 
Cabbage  Growing  in  California. 
Spraying  for  Control  of  Walnut,  Aphis. 
When      to      Vaccinate     against      Hog 

Cholera. 
County  Farm  Adviser. 
Control  of  Raisin   Insects. 
Official  Tests  of  Dairy  Cows. 


CIRCULARS 


No. 
136. 
137. 
138. 
139. 


140. 


142. 

143. 

144. 
145. 

146. 

147. 
148. 
149. 
150. 
151. 
152. 

153. 

154. 

155. 
156. 


Deterioration  of  Lumber. 

Irrigation  and  Soil  Conditions  in  the 
Sierra    Nevada   Foothills,    California. 

The  Avocado  in  California. 

The  Citricola  Scale. 

Value  of  Barlev  for  Cows  Fed  Alfalfa. 

New  Dosage  Tables. 

Melaxuma  of  the  Walnut,  "Juglans 
regia." 

Citrus  Diseases  of  Florida  and  Cuba 
Compared  with  Those  of  California. 

Size  Grade  for  Ripe  Olives. 

The  Calibration  of  the  Leakage  Meter. 

Cottony  Rot  of  Lemons  in  California. 

A  Spotting  of  Citrus  Fruits  Due  to  the 
Action  of  Oil  Liberated  from  the  Rind. 

Experiments  with  Stocks  for  Citrus. 

Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 

Phenolic    Insecticides   and   Fungicides. 

A  Comparison  of  Annual  Cropping,  Bi- 
ennial Cropping,  and  Green  Manures 
on  the  Yield  of  Wheat. 

Feeding  Dairy  Calves  in  California. 

Commercial  Fertilizers. 

Preliminary  Report  on  Kearney  Vine- 
yard Experimental  Drain. 

The  Common  Honey  Bee  as  an  Agent 
in  Prune  Pollination. 


Melilotus  Indica. 

Wood  Decay  in  Orchard  Trees. 

The  Silo  in  California  Agriculture. 

The  Generation  of  Hydrocyanic  Acid 
Gas  in  Fumigation  by  Portable  Ma- 
chines. 

The  Practical  Application  of  Improved 
Methods  of  Fermentation  in  Califor- 
nia Wineries  during  1913  and  1914. 

Standard  Insecticides  and  Fungicides 
versus   Secret  Preparations. 

Practical  and  Inexpensive  Poultry  Ap- 
pliances. 

Control  of  Grasshoppers  in  Imperial 
Valley. 

Oidium  or  Powdery  Mildew  of  the  Vine. 

Suggestions  to  Poultrymen  concerning 
Chicken  Pox. 

Jellies  and  Marmalades  from  Citrus 
Fruits. 

Tomato  Growing  in  California. 

"Lungworms." 

Lawn  Making  in  California 

Round  Worms  in  Poultry. 

Feeding  and  Management  of  Hogs. 

Some  Observations  on  the  Bulk  Hand- 
ling of  Grain  in  California. 

Announcement  of  the  California  State 
Dairy  Cow  Competition,  1916-18. 

Irrigation  Practice  in  Growing  Small 
Fruits  in  California. 

Bovine  Tuberculosis. 

How  to  Operate  an  Incubator. 


